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THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE

TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM:

1 938 TO 1 956

Tqpps Chewing Gumjnc.

History, price guide & checklists

DAVID HORNISH

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Cover credits:

Topps Chewing Gum Sign from Bush Terminal - Robert Edward Auctions

Topps Cum, U.S. Military Ration - Jeff Shepherd

General inquiries should be directed to: cfireside@gmail.com

Please visit http://themodernhobbyguide.blogspot.com/ for many more pictures, updates, corrections, etc.

Images herein are not all shown to size.

version 2.2

Copyright © 20 1 3 David Hornish. All rights reserved. With the exception of copies downloaded for
personal use, reproduction and distribution of this work without the written consent of the author
is prohibited. trademarks used herein are the property of the respective owners. author disclaims
all warranties, express and implied concerning the accuracy or completeness of the information

HEREIN.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DEDICATION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For Susan, who may not understand but certainly inspires,
Ryan and Alex for the quiet times, and Buster, mho almost saw it all.

The author acknowledges with thanks the contributions of Jeff Shepherd and the following good people:
Josh Alpert, Mark Aubrey, Tom Boblitt, Bobby Burrell, Dan Calandriello, Bill Christensen, Lonnie Cummins,
Les Davis, Frank Evanov, Bob Fisk, Doug Goodman, Lois Grabash, Carl Greenfeld, Carol Jablow, Bob
Lemke, Robert Lifson, Leon Luckey, Jay Lynch, Gary May, Bruce McCanna, Mark McKernon, Ken Meyer,
Dana Mofenson, John Moran, Michael Moran, Anthony Nex, Keith Olbermann, Keith Pennington, Charlie
Ramone, Al Richter, Howard Shookhoff, George Vrechek, Rhett Yeakley and Ted Zanidakis. Countless
others also provided comments, occasional brickbats, inspiration and pointed me toward new sources.

Topps Direct Sales Force at National Sales Conference in New York, Dee. 18 to Dec. 21.
Front: L - R: A.J. Shorin, Vice-Pres.j J. E. Shorin, Prea.} Len Harrison, Sales M^r^;
Phil Shorin, Vlce-Pres.; Joel Shorin, Treaa.

2nd Row: L-R:

Back How: L-R:

Ben Mazzullo, Bob Kanter, Sy Berger, Ralph Klnberg, Chas. Gaffney, Prank
Helm, Phil Francis, Chas. Zubrin, Harvey Davidson, Si Rosenzweig, Joe
Keys, Gene Jablow, Irv. Perlow, Harold Fried, Alex Langfelder,

Leon Becker, Len Kamber, Sy Gold, Dave Krauae, Don Kwast, George Weseman,
Ed Shorin, Al Chetron, Av Siegel, Mort Binder, Marv Weinick, Mel Wajuuan,
Jerry Gitomer.

Photo and Attendees key from 1956 Topps National Sales Meeting. The man playing the accordion is not identified, (courtesy Carol Jablow)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 5

Beginnings 6

Topps Before The Second World War 1 1

Cards Begin 18

Topps And Bowman Sales Figures 49

Set Descriptions, Checklists & Pricing 53

Gum 260

Candy 284

Topps For Toys 287

Bubbles, Inc. 288

Trading Card Guild 288

Premiums & Prizes 289

Ed-U-Cards 292

Red Ball Jets 294

Doeskin 294

Sports Illustrated Inserts 295

Matchbooks 297

Uncut Sheets, Artwork & Proofs 299

Ephemera 300
Appendix A - Table Of Topps Card Sizes 301

Appendix B - The Shorin Family 302

Bibliography & Resources 303

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

INTRODUCTION

This guide started off simply enough. I planned to gather all the information I could find on the small,
penny gum tab sized cards Topps issued in 1948-49, create some checklists and scans and then put out a
pamphlet much like Scot Reader's fabulous Inside T206, which was an inspiration of sorts. Then I wrote
some articles for The Wrapper, Les Davis's indispensable magazine covering the Non-Sports world that
comes out eight wonderful times a year (just like Mad Magazine -hah!) and unearthed a couple of
surprising facts. Namely, that Morris Shorin, patriarch of the family that founded Topps Chewing Gum in
1938 had started out in the U.S. with the name of Chigorinsky and had arrived after his supposed storied
founding of the predecessor firm, American Leaf Tobacco Company, that gave rise to Topps.

Then there was the discovery of American Gas Stations, which was another Shorin owned business in the
decade before they founded Topps and the later realization there was scant information available on many
old card issues. After that there was the discovery that when Topps bought out their biggest competition
in the card and gum trade, Bowman Gum, its namesake founder had been dispatched five years previously
and a man named John Connelly had actually orchestrated the sale of the firm. So the snowball began
rolling downhill from there and resulted in what I believe is a revealing and reasonably comprehensive
look at the history of Topps from 1938-56 plus the Shorins and some of their businesses prior to that.

I do not intend this to be a biography of Morris Shorin or his son Joseph although both are deserving of a
longer history than I give them here. Instead I want to lay a foundation for future research, not only of the
family, or American Leaf Tobacco Company or Bazooka, or Woody Gelman, or the 1954-55 Hockey set but
also to help people imagine the totality of all of it. There's a tendency in the hobby to compartmentalize
the baseball issues, the football cards, the Non Sports sets and the like but I realized about twenty years
ago that it's all inseparable. Joe Shorin did not suddenly proclaim after a dozen years in the confectionery
trade that he wanted to sell baseball cards; rather he and his brothers built their way up to it, through
hard work and planning, carefully thought out PR campaigns and - even though they lost most big cases -
really sharp lawyers. They sought advantage against others and repelled it when others went after them.

Often I was aided and abetted by Jeff Shepherd, a man who knows his Bazooka and without whose
generous assistance and help would find me writing the introduction to a rather thinner tome. Others
helped immensely: Dan Calandriello and his vast gallery of scans on Network54, Bill Christensen and his
immense knowledge of obscure issues and of course Les Davis and his band of merry men and women.

Even as the cards grew from postage stamp size into something close to the dimensions of a vintage
Kodachrome photograph and then erupted into a classic five year run of colorful Giant Size issues before
reaching their denouement, there was still a sense of wonder, a feeling of mystery and an imagined aroma
of sweet, stale bubble gum and aging cardboard that lingered and teased. This first era of Topps cards,
from the first tatoos and tiny inserts in 1948 until Elvis Presley brought us standard sizing in 1956, is one
that defies easy explanation and resists close scrutiny, due in no small part due to the reticence of the
Shorin family to reveal their past. But no matter, there was enough to piece it together and create an
impression of the pre-Sputnik era at Topps.

It was during this time that the world began to rely less upon artistry and imagination and more upon first
person accounts and the immediacy of film and television. Topps cards from 1948-56 exist in an almost
suspended state that spans these two worlds. It's a state that requires a kid's sense of wonder and
speaks to the magic of Red Barber and bases FOB, Friday Night Fights, Saturday morning matinees and
breathless, staccato news bulletins as America abruptly and irrevocably entered the video age.

Enjoy! June 2013

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BEGINNINGS

The origins of Topps Chewing Gum cannot be told without first looking at the Shorin family and two earlier
businesses they owned and ultimately sold to finance the venture. Morris Shorin and the story of his
founding the American Leaf Tobacco Company (ALTC) in 1890 have been the stuff of Topps PR legend for
decades now. The patriarch of the family though, was not originally known as Morris Shorin and his
connection with the ALTC occurred far later than told in the official story.

Morris Shorin and The American Leaf Tobacco Company

The lineage of Topps Chewing Gum began half a world away from Brooklyn when Morris Shorin was born
in Russia in 1867. There is some circumstantial evidence he was from Kiev in the Ukraine but there is also
some evidence he hailed from a place called Rhzev, in what is now Latvia or even a place called
Gorokhovets, near Nizhniy Novgorod, a major trading center in the 19 th century. It's possible the family
had branches in all three areas if they were involved in widespread trade. Gorokhovets was once home to
a merchant firm referred to as the House of Shorin but it is unclear if there is a connection, although
Morris almost certainly grew up in a family of tobacco merchants and cigar makers.

In 1891 he fathered a son name Moses, generally referred to as Moe, possibly with a woman from Kiev. In
the best of circumstances details from this period and place can be hard to discern and, as will be
detailed herein, the nuclear Shorin family also was adept at giving conflicting or incomplete information
concerning their personal and business dealings, so the lack of certainty regarding the background of
Morris Shorin in Russia is not surprising.

Morris emigrated, without Moe, to the United States that same year and ended up with the last name of
Chigorinsky upon arriving in New York in July 1891. It's unclear if there is any linkage between the birth
of his son and his departure from Russia, which was likely via Hamburg.

He soon settled in Brooklyn, living and working in a congruent section of the Williamsburg and Bedford
(later Bedford-Stuyvesant), neighborhoods, both with large Russian Jewish communities. It would seem
probable he had family or associates who arrived ahead of him or came with a commission in hand to
conduct business on behalf of others but this is not definite. His activities during these early days are
largely unrecorded and he arrived, as it turns out, after the founding of the first iteration of the ALTC,
almost certainly working in the tobacco trade once he settled in. Cigars were quite in vogue at the time.

As for the American Leaf Tobacco Company, there is solid evidence of it being founded in Boston in 1890,
by one S. Salomon, who was likely the wonderfully named Solomon S. Salomon, a member of a well
known and firmly established New York tobacco clan who journeyed north in the wake of a failed family
business venture. Ownership can also be attributed to the firm of E.D. Salomon but the family seems like
they were adept at creating interlocking companies, a common practice at the time and there is a short,
contemporary journalistic piece that indicates Solomon Salomon was the point man.

ALTC operated out of a couple of locations on the Central Wharf in Boston until at least 1892 when a fire
may have ended the venture. Solomon Salomon was back in New York by 1895, working once again with
the family firms as the operation in Boston faded away. This Salomon family venture was the first firm
known as the American Leaf Tobacco Company, with the 1890 founding date later appropriated by Topps

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

and publicized by their public relations department. Why the company felt compelled to change the date of
the ALTC's founding, especially when evidence exists to the contrary, is unknown but it was a move

indicative of a wide-scale reticence by the Shorin family when it came to their familial and corporate
backgrounds.

1897 finds the first, albeit separate, references to both the ALTC and Morris Chigorinsky in Brooklyn. The
former was operating on Throop Avenue with the building number unknown, although there is a good
chance it was #140. This appears to have been the second firm to be called the American Leaf Tobacco
Company. Throop Avenue ran through both Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant and was a mere block
over from Tompkins Avenue, which would house Morris Chigorinsky and his family in various domiciles
along or adjacent to a mile long stretch for the next twenty years.

A firm known as M. Chigorinsky & Co. was also operating in 1897-98 out of a different, residential, building
on Monroe Street that was also just off Tompkins Avenue. Morris must have known about the ALTC given
the geographic proximity of his home and business to the Throop Avenue location but his trade seems
very much to have been making and selling cigars in this period and it does not seem like he was involved
in any ownership of this version of the company. Throop Avenue was an active retail area so a retail cigar
operation there is quite possible and Morris may have sold products to or bought tobacco leaf from this
version of the American Leaf Tobacco Company.

No matter who owned it, the American Leaf Tobacco Company had established a presence in Chicago by
1899 and in the new century would expand as far west as St. Louis. The company incorporated in New
York City in March of 1901 and its Directors were listed as Emil Fuerth, Samuel Froehlich and Hanna Hahn.
This version of the ALTC was dissolved in New York State in 1903 and appears to have dissipated
elsewhere by 1905.

On the home front, Morris Chigorinsky married the former Rebecca Jablow in 1896. Rebecca was also a
Russian immigrant, whose family appears to have lived near Lithuania or the Russian dominated area of
Poland and who emigrated to America at roughly the same time as her future husband.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Morris & Rebecca Shorin, probably taken in Miami in the late 1930's or early 1940's (courtesy of Carol Jablow)

Four children were born of this union: Philip in 1897, Abraham in 1898, Isador (sometimes spelled Isadore
or Isidore) in 1900 and Joseph in 1903. Morris's first child, Moe, would not arrive in the U.S. until 1904
when he was 13. Moe appears to have been classically educated prior to his arrival as he graduated high
school with high honors four year later.

The Jablow family may also have had a connection to the tobacco and cigar trades and it's possible
Morris and Rebecca met in this capacity since it was not uncommon for young women of the time to work
as cigar rollers. Rebecca had at least one brother and sister who worked for and lived with Morris for a
time. Most of her family dispersed to other cities after the turn of the century but the Chigorinsky clan
would remain in Brooklyn.

The early years would not have been easy as Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant were neighborhoods of
tenements for the most part but the family made sure their boys received proper educations and ample
exposure to classical and cultural pastimes. Musical ability was especially evident in Abram, who was a
classically trained pianist and he later collaborated with his brother Joseph, writing some popular songs
in their time. They became huge baseball fans and fixtures at Dodgers home games and by numerous
insider accounts it was a warm and loving family.

1903 and 1904 found Morris Chigorinsky still in the cigar trade but now at 140 Throop Avenue, in a
building that would have seen heavy foot traffic. Set on a corner with Flushing Avenue, which was a main
thoroughfare and trolley route, this was possibly the exact location where the second ALTC had been
located in the 1890's. A surviving structure that may have housed ALTC exhibits signs of a large retail
window opening to Flushing Avenue. By 1905 Morris was in a partnership with a man named Metz, who
was likely a younger man in the tobacco trade named Louis Metz and had been sponsored for American
Naturalization by Morris that very year. This concern also operated out of out of 140 Throop Avenue.

In 1908 Morris obtained financing from the Citizen's Trust Company (later the Manufacturers Trust
Company and then Manufacturers Hanover) to start the American Leaf Tobacco Company. This is
accepted by the family as the year Morris became involved with ALTC and there is a press photo in the
United States Tobacco Journal showing a commemorative cup being presented to the two surviving
Shorin sons in 1968, saluting the family's 60 th anniversary of doing business with the bank and which
mentions the ALTC being started in 1 908. Morris Shorin's American Leaf Tobacco Company was now the
third company known by this name. The alleged founding date of 1890, promulgated by Topps in later
years, could very well have come out of the research required in trade-marking the venture's name but
Morris Shorin's involvement in that year would have been impossible.

The American Leaf Tobacco Company also had a large capitalization in Quincy, Florida in 1908, an area in
the Florida Panhandle where tobacco was grown extensively. With a longstanding history of shipping leaf
tobacco to New York City for use in the cigar industry, Quincy was a well known source for this staple of
the trade. Leaf tobacco from the area was known as a Florida Wrapper and a lot of effort was expended
by companies in the area to produce Shade Grown tobacco, the most desirable type of leaf wrapper for
cigars. Quincy was a thriving tobacco farming region for almost two centuries before rising production
costs and changing attitudes finally brought an end to such activity in the middle of the 1970's.

It's impossible to determine at present if Louis Metz was involved with the 1908 transaction or if Morris
broke with him at that point but the latter seems probable as his name does not come up after 1907. The

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Chigorinsky owned version of ALTC must have become prosperous fairly quickly as there were two
separate locations in Ohio by the time the U.S. entered World War 1; earlier plants had been established in
Florida while Pennsylvania and Chicago boasted one as well. Reports of the firm faltering or even failing
during the war due to the lack of Turkish Leaf tobacco imports seem unfounded as there is ample
evidence the company was using and/or growing leaf tobacco from Florida well before hostilities drew the
U.S. into the conflict. A desire by the family not to be seen as profiting from the war may have led to this
oft-repeated scenario.

Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. Honors
Shorin Family on Topps 30th Anniversary

PHILIP A. MlLNER, executive vice president <A Manufacturer* Hanover Trust
Co., presents a silver eu P to Philip Shorrn (second l.o,., left) and A. J. Shorin
ef Topps Chewing Cum. while the bank's senior vice president. Sidney A.
Trundle Jr.. looks c-n. The cup was presented on the occasion of Topp's 30th
anniversary and the 60tli anniversary nf Shprins' business relationship with
the hank, be pun when their father started American Leaf Tobacco Cc-. in 190B.

Presentation of silver cup to Philip and Abram Shorin on the 30 th Anniversary of Topps (and the 60 th Anniversary of the family's association
with Manufacturers Hanover Trust). This photo dates the founding of ALTC by Morris Shorin to 1908. From the February 29, 1968 edition of
United States Tobacco Journal, (courtesy of Carol Jablow)

Further belying any misfortune, the family purchased a handsome house at 1460 President Street in Crown
Heights, moving to an exclusive area just below Eastern Parkway around the time the U.S. began fighting
in the war. The house, which still stands, was previously owned and very possibly built by Fred Gretsch,
the musical instrument maker and importer who appears to have been a family friend. The Shorins also
kept a servant or two, as they had done for decades, hardly the mark of a financially strapped family.

The American Leaf Tobacco Company by this time had taken offices in an unassuming building at 7
Debevoise Street in Brooklyn, just off Broadway in a bustling part of Williamsburg that was very near 140
Throop Avenue; the location suggests it may have been a tobacconist's shop but there is absolutely no
available information on any retail operations of the company. The firm was located next to the Jolly Cafe
at #5 and the large Jolly Theater, where you could catch the latest vaudeville acts, was just down the
block at #15, so the foot traffic would have been robust. ALTC did have the cigar packing plants in Ohio
and it is possible their operations were focused on both wholesaling leaf tobacco and packing and selling
cigars and other tobacco products in retail outlets. It's even possible they were packing so many cigars
the Florida Wrappers were all for their own use.

As for the family's war effort, Philip served in the Army toward the end of the war and was stationed in
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; a posting that would prove fortuitous to Topps many years later. Ira and
Abraham may have served too as they registered for the draft in 1918 while Joseph would have been too
young for duty. Also registering for the draft, albeit a year earlier, was Moe Chigorinsky, who had become

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

a naturalized American citizen but poignantly listed a chronic ailment and noted the fact he was an
"inmate" at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx on his registration card. Sadly, he would die in November of
1918 at that hospital.

Following the settlement of his son's affairs in the spring of 1919 and the discharge of his other sons from
military service at the end of the war, Morris Chigorinsky legally changed the family name to Shorin, with
his surviving sons also adopting it. It seems likely the name change and the death of his oldest son were
connected but no known link exists.

The House of Shorin

Their new social standing as prominent residents of Crown Heights brought periodic announcements in
the New York Times regarding the four Shorin boys. Their engagements and the eventual births of their
children were duly noted in the Society pages. These children and even their grandchildren, in-laws and
other family members would work for and run Topps for many years in the future.

As part of their business, the Shorins took trips to San Juan and Havana began around 1929, mostly
undertaken by Philip. These were regular trips that ended in 1935, which may signal the start of some
difficulties for the company. The American Leaf Tobacco Company was still viable but the Depression
may have made things difficult. Compounding matters for cigar related industries was the rising
popularity of cigarettes. Perhaps sensing this, a new family venture started in 1928, would be run by
young Joseph, fresh off a stint at St. Lawrence Law School in Brooklyn. This new operation was
christened American Gas Stations (AGS).

American Gas Stations began both leasing and buying up properties in Brooklyn, knocking down whatever
structure existed at the time on each lot and constructing new gas stations, all built in a similar style of
red brick with white trim. By 1934 the burgeoning chain had four locations and added four more in short
order. In 1938, AGS more than doubled its number of stations with at least nine being added in that year
alone. The Shorins were clearly buying up properties during the worst of the Depression, when prices
were plunging and later accounts describe them as active in real estate.

AGS eventually became a distributor of Socony (which stood for Standard Oil Company of New York - later
known as Mobil) brand gasoline and products but began selling their own brands of motor and gear oil and
other auto accessories starting in about 1937. The introduction of "American" branded motor oil and the
rapid expansion of AGS during this time would certainly have been noticed by Socony representatives in
the area.

What happened next is not in question, although accounts differ as to the reason why American Gas
Stations was bought by Socony. Family lore describes the chain as doing steady, if unspectacular
business, while Len Brown, the former Creative Director of Topps, describes the operation as being
successful enough to alarm Standard Oil. The true story of the chain's financial health assuredly lies in
between but whatever the reason all seventeen American Gas Stations were sold to Socony in 1939.

The American Leaf Tobacco Company, depending upon which version of the story is to be believed, either
faded away or was sold around this time as well. There is some evidence that Morris Shorin was having
trouble collecting on debts owed to the company and he was involved in litigation at least through 1939
trying to claim what was rightfully his. Another possible factor was that Morris may just have wanted to
retire, or at least slow down as he would have turned 70 in 1937. The market for leaf tobacco, often used
as both a protective as well as containing wrapper for cigars, was declining as well with the introduction
of new packaging materials, so it may have been a confluence of events that led to the end of the ALTC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

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TOPPS BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR

The Depression must have affected both prior family businesses but it does seem certain that the seed
money for Topps came from the sale of the two firms, abetted with a line of credit from the Manufacturers
Trust Company. Casting about for a business venture to sink their money into, the Shorins hired a market
research firm to determine what field might suit their talents best. This project revealed some
possibilities such as the produce trade (allegedly rejected due to its lack of fun and early hours) so the
Shorins seized upon a recommendation to enter the chewing gum business.

At first operating out of Philip Shorin's residence at 582 Montgomery St. in Brooklyn, the Shorins soon
rented space in the Gretsch Building, located at 60 Broadway in Williamsburg, once again associating
with that musical family. Business notices of the time indicate each floor leasing in the building
comprised 10,000 square feet so the investment was substantial.

The company was christened Topps Chewing Gum, adapted from the phrase "topping the competition"
and was originally a corporation comprised of Morris Shorin, his four boys and, surprisingly for the times,
their four wives. Joseph was named President, Philip was made responsible for Sales, Abram headed
Marketing and Ira was Treasurer. Morris was a silent partner at this point and the wives of the four Shorin
boys likely had undefined roles that ranged from secretarial to operational as the company began
operations.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Production Begins

Starting off with what has been described as "a tangle of obsolete machinery" the Shorins initially
produced four flavors of penny gum tabs, with the place of manufacture shown as New York City. These
non-Brooklyn branded tabs were probably promotional items first handed out at a trade convention or two,
or sold prior to the war: Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamon and Ginger were the original flavors. The latter
did not last long and does not seem to have been featured in any extant advertising. It was replaced by
Pepsin shortly thereafter. Topps also changed the place of manufacture to Brooklyn on their wrappers at
this time.

TOPPS

SPEARMINT

//' £ ' )

The first commercial product - a penny gum tab called "The Change-maker" (courtesy Jeff Shepherd)

The first tabs to roll off their new-yet- ancient production line hit the streets in December of 1938 and
were christened, simply, Topps Gum. While it is not clear how the Shorins came up with the formula for
their gum, it's entirely possible they simply purchased a faltering local gum or confectionery company as
they also started selling a chocolate and marshmallow candy bar they dubbed Opera soon after. Named
for its filling, which surely resembled but could not have replicated true opera cream (usually consisting of
cream, milk and sugar) whose name implied a high standard, the candy bar was a solid seller for Topps. It
is also possible they hired their own chemist to come up with the gum formula and then brought in
experienced workers to manufacture the product; with so many out of work at the time this could have
been done very cheaply.

While the children's market for confections was later obvious, Topps generally restricted their initial
efforts to adults when marketing their gum. Chewing gum was more a man's pursuit at the time and a big
seller in certain establishments such as taverns and restaurants. Topps knew this and made extensive
use of the old distribution network of tobacco jobbers used by the American Leaf Tobacco Company to
sell their confectionery products. Vending machines were a major part of the initial sales strategy as
their distribution channels mirrored those in the tobacco trade. By the time the U.S. entered World War 2
Topps had established nationwide distribution of their gum.

The War Years

Topps Chewing Gum quickly learned to rely upon retail counter sales and severely curtailed their vending
sales for the duration of the war, concentrating on high volume locations at the expense of market
penetration. Their tabs became known as "Change-makers" with retailers instructed by Topps to offer
their gum, prominently displayed in a handsome canister strategically placed near the point of sale, in lieu
of a penny or two's change when customers made a purchase. The Change-maker campaign was

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

successful and relentless and the Shorins made the most of their wartime opportunities to expand their
reach and political connections even further.

Topps secured a contract to provide gum for the US Military's field rations and PX's, a practice that would
continue for many years and would give them a huge advantage in marketing both during and after the
war. In addition to giving millions of servicemen a taste of their product, Joseph Shorin coined the clever
phrase "Don't talk chum, chew Topps gum" and used it in ad campaigns for years.

There are stories and instances of Topps buying small candy and gum manufacturers, initially acquiring
one in 1942 (name unknown), and eventually shutting them down while retaining their wartime sugar
quotas but these skew a key fact. While there were indeed quotas in effect as a result of the Sugar Act of
1938, the war quotas would not come into effect until May of 1943. Still, Topps unincorporated itself
around the start of the war, possibly to keep such purchases as clandestine as possible.

In March of 1943, just two months before the war quota for sugar was to be enacted, Topps bought
Bennett-Hubbard Candy, also of Chattanooga, for $125,000. This move was part serendipity and part
business acumen as Philip Shorin's time as a conscript at Fort Ogelthorpe, Georgia during World War 1 had
allowed him to take leave just across the state line in Chattanooga. He took note of the city's commercial
activities and prime location on the Tennessee River and eventually was able to use this knowledge in a
profitable way.

Topps did not intend to shut down this new acquisition nor lay off its one hundred employees. Instead
they sent their general manager, Dan Emmet, to Chattanooga, hired additional workers and converted the
Bennett-Hubbard factory into a southern plant, their first outside Brooklyn. Topps also gained access to
key distribution channels in the region and invested an additional $15,000 to facilitate production of their
Opera candy bar in Chattanooga. Other Bennett-Hubbard products continued in production but no gum
was made in the Chattanooga factory; it was used solely to make candy and a product called table syrup.
A marshmallow and bran candy bar called Mairzy and a Caramel Nut Roll bar were also produced.

Following this, Topps acquired the Shapiro Candy Manufacturing Company of Brooklyn and gained an
additional building at 383 3 rd Avenue. They slowly shed the Shapiro name and integrated this venture into
their operations, maintaining Topps Candy as a separate company into 1946, possibly to take advantage
of rules concerning the war sugar quota.

In the early days of the war Topps commenced a premium redemption program for their retailers. Copying
a well established trade practice, a retail tub filled with gum tabs would be shipped with a certificate
displaying a half-dozen or so redemption items offered in exchange for a certain number of certificates.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Typical Premium Certificate of the World War 2 era, September 30, 1945 expiry (Author's Collection)

The goods featured were mostly clothing and kitchen items in the early days but would expand to
electronics and mechanical items in later years. Some certificates also promoted U.S. Victory Stamps,
which were lower in cost and return than the better known War Bonds. The retailer certificate program
was an integral part of the Topps marketing strategy and it lasted for quite a long time.

Back in Brooklyn, Topps had relocated some of their operations to 134 Broadway in a late 1944 move, a
location that was just down the street from the Gretsch Building. Given the relative sizes of these two
buildings, it seems likely 134 Broadway became the corporate office while the production floor remained
at #60. Prosperity was not assured for the firm though, as chicle was becoming increasingly expensive
and scarce as the conflict raged and its common replacement in the making of chewing gum, jelutong
latex, was considered essential to the production of rubber for the military. It too became hard to obtain
for ordinary manufacture and Phil Shorin made at least two trips to Mexico in the last years of the war,
presumably to keep the supply of this essential ingredient flowing steadily.

While Gum Inc., a Philadelphia competitor owned by Warren Bowman and now known for its Blony bubble
gum, eventually suspended production of chewing gum as a result of the war and Fleer, another firm from
that city, gave its supply of chicle to the U.S. government for the duration, Topps managed to steadily
manufacture and sell their products, although they were forced to use less than optimal ingredients as the
war raged on. They compensated for having to ease off on vending sales by ramping up candy production
domestically and chewing gum distribution internationally as Topps Gum was distributed to the Allies
during the war under the Lend-Lease Act. This was in addition to the millions of pieces already being
included in US military field rations and sold in PX's.

When the war ended Topps still had the military contract while waiting for supplies of sugar and chicle to
return to normal. Topps Gum was still being sold over the counter in the US along with their various
candy confections and the Shorins were carefully planning their next moves as competitors revived and
spruced up their lines as well. They even put an additional $100,000 into the Chattanooga operation in
1945 to further expand production, presumably to ramp up for all those returning servicemen and their
soon-to-be- growing families.

1946-47: Rebuilding the Brand

In early 1946 Topps began running trade ads trumpeting a return of their gum to pre-war quality, while
taking pains to indicate supply would be tight for a while. The national trade convention circuit also was
reviving with the end of the war and subsequent return of millions of veterans to their old jobs. Still
utilizing the tobacco distribution strategy, Topps was out in force at the National Association of Tobacco
Dealers conventions as well as the National Candy Wholesaler's Association gatherings.

Topps executives Joe and Phil Shorin were frequent presences at these events and would make a splash
one way or another, typically combining eye-catching displays with a couple of even more eye-catching
young models hired to hand out samples to all of the conventioneers. More prosaically a phalanx of sales
and merchandising managers would also be on hand, ready to take orders, press the flesh and stand for a
night on the town. Public Relations firms ensured Topps received ample press coverage as well.

In June of 1946 Topps would establish their most well-known Brooklyn headquarters at the massive and
sprawling Bush Terminal complex. Located in Sunset Park on Gowanus Bay, the location offered

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

excellent water, rail and highway access. Still, it only held parts of their production lines and warehouses,
even at this early date.

The move to Bush Terminal may have been a precursor to the development of a new bubble gum but
Topps' old Williamsburg location at the Gretsch Building, where Topps Gum tabs were manufactured,
would remain in operation for that production line as part of their far-flung Brooklyn enterprises. Their
space at 134 Broadway was still in use as well, possibly as a repository for the Retailer Premium
Certificate products in addition to whatever else was stored or coordinated there. 383 3 rd Avenue's fate is
unknown but seems to have been shut down as a production floor by the time of the move to Bush
Terminal and maintained solely as warehouse space thereafter.

Availability of staples for confectionery manufacture, ink and paper would remain spotty well into 1948
but the competition in the trade was shaping up to be quite fierce in the burgeoning post war economy.
Warren Bowman had awakened his firm, now called Bowman Gum, Inc., from its war-induced hibernation
in late 1945 and while temporarily relegated to local distribution, Bowman was a formidable competitor
with extensive plans to reestablish his products nationally. His company would quickly emerge as the
primary competition to Topps, although they were competing in the shadows compared to the big three
confectioners: Wrigley's, American Chicle and Beech-Nut, which controlled an estimated 95 percent of the
chewing gum market.

Wrigley's restarted gum production in Chicago and in 1947 their local competitor Sol Leaf consolidated his
various confectionery and gum concerns into Leaf Brands. Fleer got back to producing Dubble Bubble in
Philadelphia and a host of other companies across the country were determined to make the most of
things by selling candy and gum to anyone who had a couple of pennies to spare.

In Long Island City, a scant ten miles north of Bush Terminal, a manufacturer called Ed-U-Cards released
the first of many "educational" card decks in late 1946. Designed to be sold over the counter and without
any associated confectionery product, these started off as flash cards but the line would soon expand to
products that competed against those offered by Topps, Bowman and the other manufacturers who
insisted gum was their main line.

Topps, with plans of their own, re-incorporated in New York State in 1947, the same year that Morris
Shorin died in Miami and to remain competitive they spent extensive money on advertising and marketing,
developing clever, integrated radio, print and display ad campaigns. In May of 1947 they sent the capable
Dan Emmet to Hollywood as Western Sales Manager and presumed jack-of-all-trades. Topps then hired a
man named Hugh Spencer, formerly a marketing manager for American Home Products, as their General
Sales Manager, reporting to Phil Shorin. Another up-and-comer, Charles Zubrin, was supervising their
vending sales program as the penny tabs were reintroduced to "automatic merchandising". The
Chattanooga branch remained active with candy manufacturing, even producing a new coconut and
marshmallow candy bar but whose name is lost to time, indicating a poor seller. The old Bennett-Hubbard
factory was still an important part of the Topps empire.

Topps Gum was being sold everywhere you looked. A Fruit flavor was briefly introduced, possibly as a
test for an exciting new product called Bazooka. Topps had come up with a big breakthrough and a new
subsidiary, Bubbles Inc. was established in the summer of 1947 in anticipation of this new treat's
perfection. Fresh talent was also being groomed as Philip's son Joel came onboard, fresh from his studies
at Bucknell. And on Monday, September 1 st , during a huge American Legion Labor Day parade in
Manhattan, Topps provided a purported 60 million Topps Gum wrappers to be used as confetti, flung from
office windows along the entire route and showering the masses with a riot of free advertising. It was a
huge PR bonanza.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

As if that wasn't enough, in one of their most pitch perfect hirings of all time, Topps gave a job running an
internal sales promotion to Joel Shorin's Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity brother and fellow Bucknell alum,
Seymour (Sy) Berger. Sy, in a display of serendipity that couldn't have been scripted any better, asserts
he showed up for work at Bush Terminal in mid-September, on the very day production started on
Bazooka. Berger must have been mistaken because, Bazooka had already been around for a few months-
probably in a test and convention giveaway configuration--but Topps and the gum industry would never be
the same.

Sy Berger, from 1962 Topps Rookie Banquet Program (author's collection)

Bazooka, Berger & Big Prizes

Bazooka-was allegedly named after a nonsensical musical instrument created by a twelve year old named
Bob Bums. That's an interesting story but it may have been named after the military weapon, a fact coyly
referenced by a Bazooka strip called "The Story of the Bazooka"!

JSAJOCd «AS -SEP ON ~-

wa* ts. no«tm afuica -'~vr TM*

1 -,WF 3*FS£,

ALWAYS »vt JaZOtita foil Wrappers... they Ve ALWAYS Valuable!

Bazooka Comics "The Story of The Bazooka" No. 3 (courtesy Jeff Shepherd)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

It's not clear whether or not Topps even invented the gum's name though. Brock Candy Company had
trademarked a candy product called Bazooka in 1937 and their location in Chattanooga, a city that was
already well known to the Shorin family, seems too strong to be a mere coincidence. Topps could have
bought the trademark from Brock's or perhaps it had fallen out of use during the war or was purchased by
Bennett-Hubbard. Topps may even have just appropriated the Bazooka name as it fell into disuse. Brock
Candy survived until 1994 before it was bought, fittingly enough, by Brach's.

The origin of the name may be murky but the impact of the gum was anything but. Bazooka first hit the
countertops as a nickel product with six scored chews, resembling a pink tube, wrapped in a bright,
patriotically colored foil wrapper. The new Bubbles, Inc. subsidiary created to manufacture and market
the gum, was likely used to keep the Topps name associated with the traditional gum tab market and to
hide it, for the time being, from the bubble gum crowd while the new product proved itself.

Bubbles Inc. was a name that would be used many times over the years as Topps saw fit but it was born
right along with Bazooka. Going with the war theme, the chew was billed as "The Atom Bubble Gum" and
featured a patriotically colored foil outer wrapper and an inner wrapper protecting the gum that also
featured a comic strip. Topps even obtained a Parents Magazine seal of approval that they proudly
displayed on the wrapper, the first in a parade of gimmicks to convince adults that bubble gum was a
wholesome treat to buy for their kids. The Bubbles Inc. manufacturing credit was changed to identify
Topps at this time too; perhaps they were waiting for the seal of approval to be granted before adding
their better known name.

The first commercially released Bazooka wrapper (collection of Jeff Shepherd)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Ad copy of the time featured a caricature of a young boy in a crown beanie who was actually named
Bazooka Joe but this character only lasted a couple of years. This aboriginal Joe did not show up in the
comics and appears, moniker aside, to be quite unrelated to the later, iconic version of the character but
was used by Topps up until the appearance of "modern" Bazooka Joe.

After trying out a poorly executed insert comic called Bubbles (drawn by an obscure artist named Art
Helfant) and inane comic strips such as Peg and Doc Sorebones , Topps licensed some Fawcett Comics
and printed them on a newly developed paper produced by Milprint of Wisconsin. These early comics
advised kids to save their Bazooka wrappers and mail away for a prize catalog, beginning a long tradition
of such premiums, in a process that would take a few years to refine.

BAZOOKA BUBBLE GUM IS PROUD TO HAVE BCEN AWARDED THE "GUAR-
ANTEED" SEAL OF PARENTS' MAGAZINE THIS GUM IS CAREFULLY MANU-
FACTURED TO EXACTING SPECIFICATIONS OF PURITY AND CLEANLINESS

1948 Bazooka catalog detail with the original Bazooka Joe (courtesy of Jeff Shepherd)

These early comics were wrapped around the gum and the subjects varied greatly. It would take about
two years for this familiar front and back combination to appear and the use of multiple colors would be
sporadic for a bit longer. The Fawcett comics were actually printed in the familiar and bold color schemes
later associated with Bazooka Joe but many of the early comics were printed in monotone shades of
either rust or purple during the first five or six years of production.

These early comics featured a rather lengthy parade of failed characters as the Shorin brothers tried to
forge an identity and create a mascot for the comics. But the bubblegum just sold and sold and sold no
matter who was used. There was even a tie-in with Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus, starting
an overt trend at Topps to advertise their products using circus and carnival themes for the rest of the
decade. This promotion billed Bazooka as the "Official Bubble Gum of the Greatest Show On Earth."

CARDS BEGIN

Novelties Appear

1948 would see Topps issue their first "novelty" products. Whether market research led the Shorins to
conclude that another brand of bubblegum would be a solid seller or it was just dumb luck is a matter of
conjecture but in June of 1948 a product named Tatoo debuted. Penny tabs of bubblegum in six colors
were sold in a cardboard "tourist pouch" configuration; seemingly for a dime and presumably holding ten
tabs apiece. The original point of sale display was designed to promote sales of the product as party
favors and looks like part of an early strategy to have a one cent product ( Topps Gum), a five cent product

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

(Bazooka) and a ten cent one ( Tatoo Tourist) available at the same time. Individual tabs of Ta too soon
appeared though, sold in a counter display tub.

Featuring some generic looking line drawings with spot color on the back of the gum wrapper, an
advertised 100 different Tatoo subjects were produced using vegetable dye as the transfer medium.
There are contemporary reports of Topps using some idle penny Change-makers equipment in
manufacturing and packaging Tatoo. Having to ratchet up this underutilized production line may have
been their first signal that their fortunes in the postwar gum market were going to be dominated by
bubblegum and kids, not fruit flavors and adults. The Topps Gum I Tatoo production line would ultimately
remain active for almost two more decades, cranking out millions of penny packs of tattoos and the like
during the ensuing years as the Change-makers faded and Bazooka ascended.

The first Topps novelty: 1948 Tatoo- Author's Collection

Tatoo and Bazooka were also brought to market in Canada at the same time the former was introduced in
the United States. Canada would be a key part of an international sales strategy for Topps and virtually
any stateside card set would be shipped to (and eventually produced in) the north. The Canadian
confectionery and novelty markets were small but quite competitive and Topps had begun staking out a
place for their brands two years prior, establishing copyright there in 1946. The year coincides with new
U.S. copyrights obtained for the Topps Gum wrappers so their tabs probably were retailed in Canada as
well as part of their international strategy.

Tatoo also was integral to the career of Sy Berger, destined to be the most recognizable name of all the
old Topps founders and employees. His boundless energy obvious but with potential and acumen yet to be
fully realized, Sy was tapped by Joseph Shorin to run simultaneous national campaigns to identify future
Tatoo subjects and also to name a mascot for Bazooka bubblegum and comics. The first may have
solicited ideas via a "tip in" contest form slipped into the Tatoo tourist pouches.

Topps was planning to relaunch Tatoo in both penny tab vending and counter pack configurations in 1949
and the contest could have been an easy way to expand the set by 50 subjects. This avoided a blanket
reissue of previously released subjects and allowed them to mail out a Bazooka premium flyer, while also
allowing Topps to get a handle on just how much market penetration was being achieved by the product
via premium redemption locales.

The fifty presumed winners of the Tatoo contest received a shiny silver dollar for their efforts and a letter
from Sy Berger that also invited them to submit entries to name the new Bazooka mascot. This time a
thousand pairs of roller skates were to be given out to the "fellers and gals" who picked the best name for
this new creation. The hokey "fellers and gals" phrase was actually based upon a Topps promotional
campaign at the time and would also see light in various materials aimed at the wholesale jobbers, where
Topps directed a good part of their sales and marketing efforts. Great effort was being made to keep the

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps name in front of their distributors (and by extension their retailers) and all of the hard work,
expense and organization required to do so would pay off many times over as the decade ended and the
bright, profitable baby boomer days lay ahead.

TOPPS CHEWING GUM

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Congratulations! You aro ihe winner of the
•nolooed ahlny silver dollar In tho Tatoo luufeblo gua
contest. And you should bo proud boo miss there were
thousands upon thouoanda of entrlea froa all over tho
oountry. Uoit of thea good, too, bo that the judgea
had do iaoy tlBo In selecting the winner*.

I hope It me fun developing your novel idea
and deaorlptton of Tatoo &nd that you will Join us 13
■ prist ■tnntr again In other contests.

Right not, Tatoo'o Mr brother, Onacoka, Tho
Atca Buholo Cua, lo offering 1000 pain of De LuxO
Hollfa.lt skate* to tho fell era and gala *ho auggaat th*
belt naao for the Bazooka toy iho appears in tho
Sat 1 anal Cooic Uagtslnet. You a till have tie* to got
your entry in and you <J*n eulait aa aany njwefl a* you
OhOOl*, - that, enkea It •uty.

Congratulations again and gCod-&y not, but
■e'll to looking for you In tho Bazooka nail bag.

SI not rely.

I Contest Director

BB:ag

Sy Berger Contest Form Letter (Source Unknown)

While it is doubtful that one thousand pairs of skates were distributed, Berger began tapping some old
Army connections from his time in occupied Japan for the contest prizes and Bazooka premiums. It is
thought he was eventually able to help ensure an almost endless supply of inexpensive retailer premiums
that would be central to Topps' promotional strategy going forward.

The Bazooka contest may have been a boon to Topps but the winning name in the contest had probably
already been chosen before a single kid responded. The new mascot would be known as "Bazooka the
Atom Bubble Boy", an almost angelic looking youth who was introduced in 1948 and would not catch on
despite a massive advertising campaign in National Periodicals (DC) comics running the course of a full
year. The bounty of market research gleaned from the contest entries presumably made up for this
shortcoming. Atomic weapons were becoming a dominant storyline in the news in the years immediately
after the war and Topps was not at all hesitant to use this imagery or associate their products with
nuclear destruction in their marketing, much like other companies of the era.

Topps also took to printing a little-known series called "Daffy-nitions" on the inside of some Topps Gum
wrappers around this time. It's possible these short texts were a test run for interior inking by their main
printer, Lord Baltimore Press, prior to the release of Tatoo. Another possibility is that this was a true test
issue of sorts, to determine if something so basic, silly and cheap would resonate with the younger set but

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

scant evidence is available on this primordial packaging. The "Daffy-nitions" could also have been issued
after Tatoo was first marketed.

In the middle of this initial wave of inserts and wrapper sloganeering Joseph Shorin appeared as a
panelist on the inaugural episode of a radio quiz program on WNEW, New York called "You Can Lose Your
Shirt". On the show, he appeared on a "celebrity panel" along with Morey Amsterdam, Bennett Cerf and
an executive from Adler Shoes, answering questions from a contestant. The episode was broadcast in
mid-July and Shorin acquitted himself quite well according to a review of the show, which also noted he
was president of Topps. A chewing gum executive and shoe magnate appearing together suggests some
behind the scenes PR work was taking place and working well.

Following a breakthrough by their engineer, who figured out the vexing problem of wedging a card into the
gum packs, August of 1948 saw the first dedicated Topps penny tab with an inserted novelty card issued,
under the Bubbles Inc. brand. Accompanying chews of Hocus Focus gum were little cards dubbed Magic
Photos, a name which also neatly helps to avoid confusion with a later, similar, release. In the early days
of card production, Topps would give separate names to the gum and cards, possibly to allow for the
future inclusion of a different card series which, in hindsight, seemed destined to cause confusion.

126 different tiny cards featuring assorted subjects in eight groupings were sandwiched between the
wrapper and the wrapped gum tab, with their ends protruding slightly on each side, were released. The
cards were seemingly blank on the front, which had to be moistened and then rubbed against the inside of
the wrapper, which contained a non-toxic developing agent, in order to reveal the image. The issue
almost certainly borrowed from 1930's sets called "Hokus-Fokus" and "Sun Pictures" which featured
similar technology. Topps would return to the old candy and gum company releases of this decade many
times as they designed and marketed various sets of cards over the years.

A premium album was also offered to mount these "photos" and Topps had a big hit on their hands with
these tiny little treasures, even striking a deal with Barker Greeting Cards of Cincinnati to include the
product with a line of humorous greeting cards. A second series of 126 followed, which included the first
ever Topps baseball cards and a nickel pack was introduced as well, with six cards on a scored panel and
a "bubble gum in color" blurb shown prominently on the wrappers once again proving Topps could brighten
a mundane product with just a little effort and thought.

^Afcl?

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^B&giPg&EBBBBZBBB

Magic Photos Uncut Sheet arrayed 18 x7 for 126 cards (Source Unknown)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The nickel packs may not have caught on all that well and seem to have briefly resulted in the elimination
of two price points for one product strategy. Another promotional tie-in with Ringling Brothers & Barnum &
Bailey Circus also hit the comic book pages later on in the year as Topps started dealing with returns from
their wholesale jobbers and offered a whopping 20 Magic Photos for a dime and just one Bazooka wrapper.

Their timing wasn't off on the political front though, when a nickel product called Golden Coin was
released at the very end of 1948. The manufacture of the coins was likely done by a private mint in
Cincinnati called the Osborne Register Company but this was actually two sets in one: the metal, bronze-
like coins featuring all U.S. Presidents up through Truman and a wrapper set called It Happened To A
President, somewhat sneakily capped at 20 subjects.

Golden Coin appears to have been a mediocre seller but it didn't stop Topps from releasing a board game
(with a 1949 copyright) called Meet The Presidents, which featured the coins and was manufactured by a
new entity christened Topps for Toys. Starting a trend that would continue for decades, this marks the
start of the Topps "rewrapping" program, where older cards and products were reconfigured slightly and
reissued at either very little additional cost or to enhance another project without driving the cost of that
particular product up. They would employ this strategy for decades.

The game was popular enough that it would be reissued at least three more times, with appropriate
updates made when a new President was elected but it would be one of the very few Topps for Toys
products ever marketed as later versions of the game were all released through the more established firm
of Selchow & Righter, makers of Scrabble. Joseph Shorin is credited with a co-copyright for the game;
whether or not it was his idea is open to conjecture.

While competitors Bowman and Leaf would begin to issue larger cards with primitive color, Topps would
mostly stick with the tab-sized inserts and had a slew of issues planned for 1949. They may have had
limited surface area to play with on their small cards but there were some novel ideas being talked about
for the new year's sets.

1949 - The Year of Many Cards

With the tempered success of Magic Photo giving way to the realization that the lifespan of a top selling
set was about six months, Topps came out with a new gum tab called Pixie in the summer of 1949. The
cards sold with this gum were called X-Ray Round-Up, as Topps continued to identify the gum and cards
separately. Featuring well drawn, vivid color renderings of a series of subjects such as Pirates and Wild
West stars on one side, a piece of "X-Ray film" was needed to see the line drawing on the other. Made of
red cellophane, the film cancelled out red lines on the back of the card thereby revealing the X-Ray. A
piece of X-Ray film was included along with each card. The set was actually marketed featuring the X-
Ray pictures as the primary component as Topps slowly learned the business of "inserts".

Interestingly, some of the illustrations of Indians in the set were closely based on old tobacco cards that
had been issued in the 19 th Century. The portraits on these cards, which were a quantum leap forward
from the simplistic drawings that comprised Tatoo, were probably illustrated by the art agency of Solomon
& Gelman. Ben Solomon and Woody Gelman both came from the world of animation, having met at
Fleischer Studios and each would eventually join Topps and rise to key executive positions at the
company. Each was a talented artist and Gelman also was a writer of gags and comic strips, in addition
to being a nostalgia buff and inveterate collector of pretty much anything that was ever printed on paper.
Woody would later prove to be a collector of artists, much to the benefit of Topps but that would have to
wait a few years.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

CALIFORNIA JOE
WESTERN SCOUT

X-Ray Round-Up: front, reverse, revealed reverse entitled "Sighting The Stockade", not to size, (author's collection)

Unlike the two distinct series of Magic Photo, X-Ray Round-Up was printed and marketed in one batch.
Topps issued an album for the cards but curiously a stamp issue featuring the portraits was also issued as
a premium by Baur's Aunt Hannah's Bread, a division of Ward Baking of New York City. These were issued
in blocks of 25 along with a corresponding album page for each that was not at all compatible with the
Topps album. This looks like another early Topps attempt to leverage one product through third party
licensing associated with another. They would return to this practice in the 1950's and continue it in the
coming decades.

There was no corresponding nickel pack for these two sided cards; instead a run of flip movies were
issued in five cent packs as Flip-o-vision, possibly in response to a similar line of "flip cards" issued by Ed-
U-Cards. Ed-U-Cards would also produce a card game called Batter Up during the year and their use of
generic graphics allowed them to re-sell the same decks, year after year. This set also featured a paper
playing field that Topps would make use of two years hence. It is worth noting Bowman had a competing
flip book product as well.

Flip-o-vision would see Topps endure some legal difficulties, which would become quite common for the
Shorins over the next three decades. Each Flip-o-vision pack held 10 three "frame" panels, which were to
be taken apart and then reassembled (using a rubber band) into a short flip movie of 30 stills. Various
productions reportedly had to be pulled for legal reasons and others substituted, resulting in a haphazard
checklist that is full of holes to this day.

Flip-o-vision may have been a problematic product but it was promoted in conjunction with local theaters
in New York City where a "Mystery Star of the Week" contest would draw in kids who, if they could match
the star on their flip movie with the mystery star would receive a special prize. One would surmise the
prize was another Topps product. The movie tie-ins also extended to Topps Gum as at least one card,
advertising a movie called "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (released in November 1949), was produced to
resemble a movie lobby card, shrunk down to fit inside a penny tab wrapper. This may have been a one-
off promotional campaign for the opening of the movie as there is no documented set of these cards
known.

Topps was steadily advertising in 1949 on the radio, in subway and bus campaigns and in newspapers and
magazines. Their marketing was second to none and they always seemed to come up with a gimmick to
tie their product in with something else as they worked to carve out their share of the mushrooming
confectionery market. Topps finally relaunched Tatoo for an encore in the fall of '49, in vending and

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

counter-top configurations, eschewing the tourist pouch for some "Carnival" themed marketing. Greeting
cards featuring Topps Gum, Tatoo and other one cent tabs were showing up around this time as well. The
biggest news of the fall though, involved another penny chew that would change the way the entire
company operated.

In October of 1949, Topps introduced a penny tab of Bazooka and also around this time started printing
comics on the back of the wrappers, which were still made of foil but were now pointing out the "purity"
and "quality" of the product. Still working out the premium and sanitary package sealing angles, an inner
wrap featuring premiums also was utilized and items such as baseball pennants, felt letters and whistles
were offered. Such premiums would be staples throughout the 1950's.

Bazooka one cent tab (author's collection)

Continuing with the circus theme manufacturing of a penny gumball called Bozo began in October of 1949,
although the product itself seemingly dates to 1910 and may have been part of an acquisition that was
ramping up after the war. The gumballs may even have been a Canadian import from O-Pee-Chee, a
London, Ontario firm Topps partnered with for many decades. Bozo, which was unrelated to the famous TV
clown who debuted around the same time, would be sold to wholesale jobbers in bulk and these brightly
colored, candy-coated goodies ended up in gumball machines across the country, competing with better
known brands such as Leaf's Rain-Bio. Once again Topps used its vast wholesaler network to distribute a
new product and while it didn't get the press and attention heaped on Bazooka after the fact, Bozo was a
success for the firm.

Bazooka -was also selling like mad and Topps managed to procure some artwork from Willard Mullin, a
well known New York sports artist, to adorn its wrapper interiors in a cross-promotional deal with the
Spalding Sports Show. The Bazooka set repurposed amusing artwork created for a Sports Annual that was
a significant promotional premium for a long running radio show. Mullin also did some work on another
humorous series as Topps looked for a consistent comic companion for their bubblegum. That search
would continue for another half decade, despite Mullin's superior abilities.

The fall of 1949 was proving quite busy at Topps as they released more and more cards. On the sporting
front Varsity hit the racks right around the start of the football season. The first Topps set specifically
themed to one sport, this was another penny tab issue that featured 100 college football players with
brightly colored backgrounds on the front and a pennant from their school on the spongy, felt-like reverse.
The timing of the set was such that sales were designed to peak at the playing of the Rose and Sugar
Bowls on January 2, 1950. That decision may have negatively impacted sales by focusing on the end of
the season rather than the beginning as Topps was clearly feeling their way on timing a sports themed
product.

Topps was still not done issuing cards and more tiny tab sets followed as the weather got colder: Stop n'
Co gum contained examples of License Plates, a very popular subject historically that featured a scratch

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

off feature on the back and was most likely a November release. A set of brightly colored plastic Play
Coins of The World also was inserted into penny gum tabs labeled World Coins and marketed alongside yet
another issue called Flags of All Nations, Soldiers of the World, a two-sided oddity of a set that featured
austere flag drawings on a strange, silvery backing that was meant to mimic silk while well executed,
bright and colorful drawings of the world's soldiers and warriors filled the other side.

Flags of All Nations was also briefly inserted with a new Fruit flavor of Topps Gum in what may have been
a test of sorts. Topps Fruit gum tab wrappers are not well known today and their lack of availability does
point to a potential test product. Perhaps Topps was seeing if they could still make a go of issuing Topps
Cum commercially by including a card insert.

Not to be accused of standing still, the company also came out with mint coated "ammoniated"
peppermint gum nuggets called, in a move designed to further their main brand name, Topps Gum. Sold in
penny and nickel packs resembling Clorets, this gum and its marketing following a name change would
eventually lead to Topps being sued by the American Chicle Company four years later. Topps also
produced a new, hybrid version of Topps Gum for military rations, combining aspects of the old gum tabs
and the new candy coated nuggets.

The final, frenetic pace of the last penny tab issues speaks to a larger dynamic though, as Bowman and
Leaf were issuing larger cards than Topps. Topps understood the penny tab market and relied upon it to
drive growth but quickly saw that they had to make their cards bigger and more colorful in order to keep
pace. With all this going on, Topps and their little cards would need to grow up. Besides, it must have
been a nightmare keeping all those tiny cards and coins in place in the vending machines and counter
displays of the day, not to mention the kiddies could easily see which subject they were about to
purchase, potentially negating additional sales in that elusive search for the "gotta have it" card.

Bowman in particular was riding high as their Wild West series was selling at unheard of rates as all those
kids born before the start of the war were starting to look for ways to spend their allowances. Topps' main
competitor had switched printers to produce this colorful set at Zabel Brothers Lithographers of
Philadelphia. Zabel Brothers was a huge printer of sheet music and all sorts of other materials and took
over all their presswork, leading to the golden age of Bowman card design.

Bowman also had their annual baseball series, which was rounding into form and were about to start a
yearly run of football sets as well, after ceding 1949 to Leaf Brands. They had sued Leaf that year over
106 baseball player contracts and reached a settlement whereby Leaf would not issue baseball cards until
1951. Football cards though, were not produced via individual player contracts but rather were negotiated
by the league and Bowman had a rock solid relationship with the NFL. Leaf for their part would not re-
enter the sports card market until 1960 but showed signs they wanted back in during the mid 1950's.

1950 & 1951 - Bigger, Better & Baseball

A metamorphic set called Funny Foldees was introduced for 1950, most likely right after New Year's,
although its exact date of issue is a bit mysterious and it may actually be a 1949 issue. The cards, really
made of thick paper rather than cardboard, had hinged tabs that allowed various mixing and matching of
pictures and captions.

Funny Foldees were issued in an oddly sized format that measured 1 9/16" x 3 5/16" unfolded and 1 3/16" x
1 9/16" folded, an odd size for Topps at the time. The issue is largely forgotten today but its title matched

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

that of the gum, a sign that Topps was entering a slightly more mature phase of the product development
and marketing cycle. As for their method of sale, a surviving wrapper shows a penny pack that was fully
sealed on either end, marking a possible transition one cent pack between the penny tabs with their cards
sticking out each end and the more familiar version designed for rural markets that contained baseball
and other cards that were issued for a dozen years or so starting in 1952.

License Plates, Play Coins of the World and Flags of All Nations would see almost immediate reissue in
1 950. The two reissued card sets were redesigned slightly and issued on cards that had an increased size
of 1 %" x 2 7/8" while the coins remained unchanged except for some mixing of colors. The card sets are
the only two Topps issued with these measurements and they may have been sized to fit on the sheets
that had been used in printing the penny tab cards. The scratch off feature of License Plates remained but
the reverse was more colorful than the prior year's release and the fronts clearly marked this as a 1950
issue.

Flags of All Nations would see a semi-rebranding as Parade while the well-rendered soldiers and warriors
of 1949 oddly gave way to simple line drawings on the reverse but with more colorful flags on the fronts.
Both reissued sets were also sold in horizontal panels of two easily separated cards, with three panels
going for a nickel in elongated packs, in addition to the one cent versions. Topps would issue a number of
sets in panel form over the next three years as they slowly developed their strategy to sell most of their
gum for a nickel or more per pack.

The Play Coins of The World reissue saw a bagged format that was advertised with the 1950 Flags of The
World cards. A lollipop box was also issued with seven coins per package, remade from pure plastic to foil
covered cores (still plastic) but dubbed as "metal" and which contained twelve pops. This package was
called Play Money Pops and may have been a way to repurpose a slow selling set that left Topps on the
hook for raw materials and looking for a way to recoup some of their loss. It retailed for 29 cents, a strong
price for the time.

This reveals a larger problem Topps was having, namely that returns from wholesalers were mounting.
The early spring of 1950 saw trade ads advertising boxes of 92 "assorted novelty packs" containing a mix
of penny and nickel packs, all originally released through October of 1949, offered for one dollar, which
implies a healthy assortment of nickel packs was included to allow a profit for the purchaser. Topps
would often resell returns in later years as part of their standard business model but the fact they were
doing so in 1950 shows a creative flipside to a problematic issue. Sales were about to dramatically
improve but returns and overstock would be a problem that never went entirely away.

Charles Zubrin, promoted to Sales Director of Topps' Automatic Merchandise Division began adding
traditional candy and gum distributors to their network of tobacco jobbers and by the late spring had more
than tripled that branch of the wholesale network to include over 25 of them. Much of this increase was
in large part due to the firm's presence at the first American Coin Machine Manufacturer's Association
convention, held in Chicago in May and which experienced overflow attendance. The postwar boom was
spreading to their "automatic," or vending merchandise, which was rapidly being driven by the sales of
Bozo gumballs and Bazooka. Licensing though, was going to be the primary engine driving growth in 1950
and would manifest itself in robust over-the-counter sales.

Despite all the gumball shipments, trading card inserts and Bazooka bubbles, Joseph Shorin must have
cast an envious eye toward Philadelphia, where Warren Bowman was issuing his annual sets of baseball
and football cards in series after series along with his other sensationalized offerings, ably assisted by
George Moll and his advertising agency. After slowly transitioning from black and white artwork to the use

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

of block color in 1949, Bowman was taking a nod from the colorful illustrations of Wild West and used
similar, finely detailed illustrations for their 1950 baseball cards.

Wanting to sell a major league baseball product and knowing that Bowman's baseball contracts, which
were obtained through outside marketing agencies, not only prohibited a player from signing with another
gum company but automatically renewed for the following year, Joe Shorin, with the help of his lawyer
Larry Wien, set up a marketing corporation called Players Enterprises to act as Topps' agent in July of
1950. The Players Enterprises contract gave them the sole right to use the names and likenesses of the
players for a period of three years and stipulated that, while a player's prior rights under existing
contracts would not be voided, he could not sign with another company for those three years. The
contracts allowed for the sale of picture cards with candy in 1951 and added gum to the possible products
contemplated for 1952 and beyond. Bowman meanwhile, had the contractual right to use a player's name,
photograph or likeness and biographical sketch on their cards when sold with gum.

Bowman though, was not going to give in and starting in August included the word "confections" in their
list of excluded products for other manufacturers for players who signed on with them through their
marketing agent. The contractual wording used by Players Enterprises would eventually provoke a
lawsuit but the battle over baseball would not really begin until 1951. Topps still needed to secure a
current licensing deal that would allow them to get some cards into the shops immediately. For this, they
looked to the American West.

The biggest story in marketing during 1950 was that of an aging cowboy named Hopalong Cassidy. Hoppy
fever began spreading in the U.S. in 1949 as William Boyd, the star of the long running movie series,
gained control of the back catalog of short films starring himself as Hopalong. A radio program quickly
mushroomed into a TV series on NBC, initially airing in New York, where roughly half of the TV sets in use
at the time had been purchased, before going national. Existing Hoppy films were edited down and fit into
shorter formats until new episodes could be produced and with New York at the forefront, the Shorins
would have gotten an early taste of the first real TV-spawned craze. By the summer of 1949 new
Hopalong Cassidy shows were being broadcast and less than a year later Topps had obtained a license to
produce a set of Hoppy cards featuring Boyd and his frontier pals and had the Solomon and Gelman art
agency create a card set.

Hopalong Cassidy was released by Topps in a Bowman-esque grouping of cards governed by movie titles.
Issued as one long series, the eight "episodes" were each identifiable by a tint color distinct to each
episode. The cards were even printed in a new size, 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", the better to compete with
Bowman. The wrappers of both the penny and nickel packs even had a new tagline to boot: "Save 'Em
Trade 'Em."

Hoppy had some real oomph in its sales and the cards even found their way into Bond Bread, a single card
and gum helpfully wrapped up by Topps in a snazzy looking wrapper. Not to be content with just bread, a
deal was also struck with the Buzza Cardozo greeting card company to affix penny packs of Hopalong
Cassidy to greeting cards.

Topps also included header cards for each series of episodes with a foil front bonded to a cardboard back,
quite possibly testing out a new material from Milprint. Sales of Hopalong Cassidy were robust enough to
warrant a high number series as two additional episodes were pictured, this time with garish bright colors
that made Hoppy and the gang look like pop art pioneers. Hoppy would also live on in a ten cent "saddle
bag" of candy, a series of lollipop boxes, released in time for Halloween and which was competing with a
multitude of other, similar products in the marketplace. Topps' entry was well-timed as Hoppy followed
the standard arc of popular crazes and would flame out a couple of years later.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

After Hoppy rode off into the sunset, another set showed that high adventure was not limited to the Wild
West. Slowly dying from cancer, Frank Buck, the legendary explorer renowned for his ability to film and
capture animals in the wild and "bring 'em back alive,'' was being feted in his final days and national
attention was high. He died on March 25 th and his estate subsequently struck a licensing deal with Topps.
They issued a 100 card set called, appropriately enough, Bring 'Em Back Alive. Mimicking a Gum Inc. set
put out by Warren Bowman's pre-war confectionery concern, the cards were designed to look like the
colorful Bowman offerings currently in the market.

Topps also managed to issue two holiday themed boxes of lollipops for the Christmas crowd in their early
days: Rudolph Pops and Santa Pops were sold at the 29 cent price point established by Play Money Pops
earlier on the year. These were products of Topps Candy Division designed for the variety store trade and
seem to have been reissued in 1951.

Of interest to collectors of Topps and Lone Ranger items was a 120 card set of the masked lawman issued
by Ed-U-Cards but which were almost dead ringers for the Hopalong Cassidy high numbers, front and back.
The Lone Ranger cards were clearly designed by either Topps or Solomon & Gelman and its possible the
sleeves they were sold in (15 cards per sleeve, in panels of three and obviously with no gum) influenced a
later Topps effort to sell the "educational" aspect of their cards with the Trading Card Guild.

Topps then released a topical set near the end of 1950. Freedom's War focused closely on the Korean
War, which had only commenced at the end of June. Additional themes in the series, which consisted of a
half dozen subsets -somewhat skip numbered to encourage the kiddies to buy more cards by leaving gaps
in the groupings-illustrated such pertinent topics as "Canada At Arms" and the "Arsenal of Democracy".
But it was "Battleground Korea" that dominated the offering, with well over half the set devoted to the
latest conflict ensnaring America.

Freedom's Warwas a smash and with exciting artwork and photos obtained from the military, likely at
little or no cost, it caused a sensation. The first series went through at least three printings and a second
series saw a minimum of two. The set was marketed in Canada as well as Topps was growing their
international presence as part of their overall strategy and the "Canada at Arms" subset may have been a
reflection of this. Based upon the subset skip numbering and contemporary reports, Topps planned to
distribute a third series but ran into opposition as the set was cresting.

A large scale protest organized by a group called The New York Veterans for Peace caused Freedom's War
to be pulled after some demonstrations at Bush Terminal and a corresponding letter writing campaign
caused Joe Shorin to conclude it was "bad for business" to continue with the set. Bowman had been
forced to play catch-up with Topps for a change and issued a truly classic set called Red Menace that also
upped the card size ante. Bowman had the same problems as Topps though with parents and veterans
groups and eventually pulled Red Menace from distribution.

At the time these two sets were being pulled, Topps seemed poised to issue another war-themed set
called Fighting Marines. The boxes for the set display a 1951 copyright but the cards seem like they were
delayed until 1952, something not unheard of with Topps as issues sometimes would come out a few
months after the copyright was obtained. It seems likely with this set though, that Topps temporarily
shelved the issue in the wake of the Freedom's War controversy. The Fighting Marines cards would be
issued in a larger size that had debuted in 1951 with Magic Football and Ringside, a size that would last
for a couple of years but eventually be phased out as a larger dimensions became the default in the
ongoing battle with Bowman.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

By this time, some of the remaining Freedom's War cards were shipped overseas where a similar
controversy to the one back in the U.S erupted in Sweden. This fledgling expanded international sales
strategy would soon be a key component of Topps marketing plans and 1952 is the earliest year that can
be identified where those efforts that went beyond Canada. Freedom's War seeing distribution in Sweden
may have been relatively isolated as the nation was somewhat hostile to the U.S. and NATO at the time
but it does illustrate how Topps would end up dumping unsalable product overseas and be able to
generate publicity even in the midst of a public outcry.

Bowman was able to ride out the war cards debacle as they were having huge success with Jets Rockets
Spacemen and continued to move millions of baseball cards. While Joe Shorin went on to tell the press
that more Bring 'Em Back Alive cards would take the place of Freedom's Warm the stores, Bowman was
riding a three-series release with Jets Rockets Spacemen. Shorin's news about a substitute set however,
was a reference to a series that ended up being called Animals of the World, sold with a gum called Zoo
Animals and which blatantly picked up the numbering of Bring 'Em Back Alive without continuing in the
same style.

Animals of the World was, in fact, a much more sedate affair than anything that had come previously and
the whole series smacks of a rush job in the wake of the Freedom's War fiasco. It certainly was not the
typical, sensationalized Topps product of the time. The additional 100 cards featured paintings by an
artist named Mary Baker, who was widely known as an illustrator and were most likely licensed, printed
and issued in a very short time frame. Many if not all of the cards featured illustrations that Baker had
previously published in a well known and popular book written by William Bridges called Wild Animals of
the World thai came out in 1948.

Topps took their time with another series that was far more important to their long term development
plans. True or not, Topps PR releases would give Abram Shorin the credit for a thematically interlocking
series of baseball cards that would debut in the spring of 1951 and one of their big problems was how to
obtain photographs of the ballplayers. As it turned out, another company called Russell Publishing had
signed 248 players to contracts, starting a couple of months earlier than Topps had in 1950. Russell
Publishing's contracts gave them the right to use player's name, photograph and biographical sketch on a
series of flip books, cards and labels, albeit excepting products issued with gum. The contracts ran from
October of 1950 for a period of one year, with an option to renew for another year.

In December of 1950, Topps "obtained" an exclusive license from their own agency (Players Enterprises)
for the player's rights to be used in conjunction with the sale of candy in 1951 and candy and chewing
gum in 1952. Then, in April of 1951 Players Enterprises bought Russell Publishing's ballplayer contracts in
a merger of sorts. That same month Topps, presumably using the photographs previously licensed by
Russell Publishing, issued their first sets of baseball cards.

Now commonly referred to as Red Backs, a "deck" of 52 cards was offered for sale under the rubric of
Baseball Candy. The cards had the same dimensions as Hopalong Cassidy and Freedom's War, et al. but
featured rounded corners and were sold at first in three configurations. One was a panelized format of
two cards that were packaged with a themed series of elongated stand-ups known as Connie Mack All
Stars and (eventually) a similarly sized team card; all sold with a huge slab of caramel for a nickel. A
penny pack containing a single card from the deck plus a piece of caramel also was marketed. Both types
listed the manufacturer as Topps Candy Division. Topps meanwhile, closed their Chattanooga plant in
1951 so the caramel was a Brooklyn product.

The third configuration was sold in bright red cellophane packs with two front windows that had debuted
in 1950, designed to hold eight panels of cards and which listed Topps for Toys as the manufacturer in the

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

fine print on the reverse. The front of each wrapper however identified a company called Trading Card
Guild, or TCG as the logo showed, a clever use of the Topps Chewing Gum initials and a carefully crafted
legal move as it turned out, since the packs only contained cards and no confections. These bigger packs
sold for a dime and seem to have been designed with rival Ed-U-Cards in mind, as the pack graphics
stressed the educational angle.

All of the photos used in Baseball Candy were of the black and white variety, while color accents gave the
cards some life. The card deck could be used to play a simple game of baseball and each card had a
result such as "Single" or "Out" printed on it. Topps selected 52 players they felt had iron clad contracts
with them and were proven correct in their assessment as none of these players had to be pulled from the
set. It is entirely possible these were the only half of the 104 players planned to be issued that Topps felt
confidence in at first and they were using only those players who had signed with both Russell Publishing
and Players Enterprises. With the candy product described in the contract now covered, Topps turned to
the merchandise side.

The Connie Mack cards were an outgrowth of the celebration of Connie Mack's 50 th year of managing the
Philadelphia Athletics and his all time team was to be portrayed. An easy way to garner the publicity
already surrounding Mack, the use of old timers allowed Topps to avoid using current players. In addition
to Mack, there were three pitchers, a catcher, four infielders and two outfielders portrayed. Missing was
Ty Cobb, who refused to give permission for his likeness to be used and which led to the unwieldy
inclusion of a third pitcher instead. This would be only the beginning of myriad headaches for Topps
associated with Baseball Candy.

The team cards, with photos provided by each club, would suffer from immediate problems. Only nine of
sixteen teams would be produced and while was no mention of this set in the lawsuit about to be filed by
Bowman, it is likely the missing seven team cards either used likenesses that were deemed by Topps'
lawyers as too risky to issue or that the teams would not provide them with a suitable photo. The cards
were selling though and the Red Backs would ultimately see multiple printings. Bolstered by the sales of
Baseball Candy, Player's Enterprises worked to sign players to contracts that would cover the 1952
season and beyond and which called for the sale of cards with gum. Joseph Shorin as a fait accompli then
put Sy Berger in charge of the 1952 baseball card project.

Berger was dispatched to the major league clubhouses in New York City to sign up players for the next
year's series. He had a built in advantage as his father-in-law, Jerome Karpf, was Managing Editor of the
New York Evening Post and Sy was able to wrangle some clubhouse passes without much fuss. Berger
had a further advantage over the local Bowman representative, who was a woman named Joan Crosby
and therefore could not enter the exclusive male provinces of the clubhouses. An Art Flynn Associates rep
named Jack Tanzer was also instrumental in some Bowman signings and there was a relaxed enough
relationship with some players that their contracts were handled through the U.S. Mail. Joan Crosby
worked the New York, Philadelphia and Washington area, presumably also including Baltimore while
Tanzer's territory remains unknown; presumably he covered the remaining cities that Crosby did not,
although Art Flynn Agencies representatives may have supplanted her entirely in mid 1951.

Access to the clubhouses though, did not ensure a player would talk with Berger, let alone sign a contract
so he turned to Turk Karam, a former minor league ballplayer who scouted the New York metro area for
the Dodgers and a handful of other teams, for help. Karam, who was known to many of the area
ballplayers, was able to make many of them feel comfortable enough over the next couple of months to
sign with Topps.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

■ 4E

k w J la
1

BBfc^"*v ;; SBwl

Turk Karam, from 1962 Topps Rookie Banquet Program (author's collection)

Berger would eventually earn the players' trust (Jerry Coleman of the Yankees is the best known early
example of this) and become a well known figure in baseball circles but Karam's assistance was vital in
allowing that bond to develop and he would remain associated with Topps for many years.

In the midst of all this, Warren Bowman resigned or was pushed out from his company in May and
subsequently moved to Florida to develop real estate and start a food packaging company. This was
probably the result of a dispute with his board, mirroring an episode in the late 1930's when he was
ousted for a spell by a Gum, Inc. director. The timing also suggests it could have been related to a
disagreement over how to pursue Topps legally. Bowman's departure could even have resulted from the
negative Red Menace publicity that was ongoing at the time but it seems a shocking move in retrospect,
no matter the cause.

Consider, Bowman was issuing a classic set of baseball cards in 1951, even though they borrowed
artwork from their 1950 offering for many of the pictures. The 324 baseball cards they were producing
would prove to be their biggest issue of all and they had beefed up their card dimensions as the ongoing
game of one-upmanship continued with Topps. Why then would Warren Bowman leave his own company
at this point unless he was forced out by the board?

By the time Topps' Red Backs had hit the streets Bowman already had 340 players signed and they would
use the fine print to winnow down the number of contractual exceptions their stable of players could rely
upon when it came to baseball cards. Topps though, worked the fringes and exploited the usual high rate
of turnover on the major league rosters and managed to sign an additional 283 players to deals for the
1952 season, suggesting Berger and Karam were really hustling to make things happen. Payments of up
to $250 per player were also of help, no doubt, although non-exclusives got just half that figure.

The new Topps contracts had a one year renewal clause as well. They still had their prior Players
Enterprises contracts in place with options exercised and also the Russell Publishing assignments that
had been acquired in the merger with that firm. Topps was now flush with ball players for next season but
many of them had signed two or more competing contracts within the last few months. Bowman was not
going to let Topps into what they felt was their exclusive market without a fight and on April 17 th their
lawyers had sent Topps a letter that asserted Bowman Gum Inc. held prior contractual rights to players
depicted in the Red Backs set, specifically Jerry Coleman, although several other players were cited as
well.

June saw another release of Topps baseball cards, this time featuring Blue Backs, with the fronts clearly
indicating it was a separate series from the first and with another 52 players depicted, presumably the

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

balance of those signed to iron clad contracts for 1951. Still sold under both the Baseball Candy and
Trading Card Guild names, the former also came with a set of Major League All Star Stand Ups that ended
up short of a team by three or four players. Three of these "missing" subjects were actually produced and
then pulled, creating extraordinary rarities, all with ties to Philadelphia, the home of Bowman. The fourth,
which logic would dictate should have been a manager (and quite likely the Phillies' Eddie Sawyer -- who
had seen his club eke out a National league pennant in 1950), was either pulled due to a contract dispute
or just eliminated to have the set count match Connie Mack's eleven. The possibility of Topps treating the
smaller Red and Blue Back cards as inserts with the larger cards as part of a legal ploy certainly exists as
well. The Baseball Candy packs also contained team cards and the slab of caramel but a problem was
developing.

The way Sy Berger tells it, the gloss, or "varnish" on the Red and Blue Backs was reacting with the
caramel (or, as Sy often called it, the "taffy"), turning it rancid and sickening children. This is odd,
considering the candy was wrapped separately but in this scenario Topps blamed their printer and
allegedly sued them for damages. It seems much more likely though, that Bowman hit them with an
injunction over the inclusion of certain players in packs containing confections and that Topps elected to
or was forced to stop selling the cards for a period of time until they could determine the best way
forward. Whatever the true story, it halted the momentum of Baseball Candy cold and turned a complex,
highly integrated and carefully planned issue into a mess.

Stuck with inventory, Topps eventually decided to issue penny packs with two Red Backs or two Blue
Backs, separated and sold without candy, called Doubles. They held these back until 1952 though,
perhaps as a hedge against being shut out of the market with newer product. The manufacturer on these
was listed simply as T.C.G., perhaps the only time three different makers were shown as issuing the same
set of baseball cards. The ten cent cello packs would certainly have remained on sale as they came
without candy but the Stand Ups -especially the Major League All Stars - and team cards don't seem to
have endured the transition, given the survival rates today. At one point after the initial run had been
printed, Topps even added the year 1950 to the Team Card captions, which certainly smacks of legal
maneuvering. It also seems probable, based upon the scarcity of the three larger Baseball Candy sets,
that existing stock already with the jobbers was pulled.

By this time Bowman had sued Topps and Topps had counter-sued Bowman over the various player
contracts and the products sold with cards. Bowman even tried to convince the courts that they were the
holder of the trademark for "baseball", a dubious assertion that was rejected. The litigation was just
beginning though, a contingency Joseph Shorin had planned and hoped for and which was in reality a
central part of his strategy in selling baseball cards.

Topps Gum was another casualty, winding down in 1951 and by 1952 seemingly phased out as a gum tab
or traditional mint nugget in the retail and vending trades. Their Change-maker gum tabs were being
transitioned around this time into a product produced solely for the U.S. Military, where their peppermint
tabs would be staples of field ration and naval survival kits and ship's stores during the 1950's even as
Bazooka slowly took over the armed forces gum segment. The Topps Gum brand would continue on in a
green, nugget sized, candy covered format and would still be marketed to the adult segment under the
name of Clor-aid. The retailer certificates would soon reflect this, slowly eliminating Topps Gum
references, coupling and then replacing them with a nod to Bazooka. Indeed, the success of the latter
made it an obvious switch. A colorful, Chiclets sized fruit gum called Block Busters also debuted this year
and was aimed squarely at the kiddie market but it would not sell too well.

A boxing set, sprinkled with a handful of wrestlers also saw daylight in 1951 . Ringside was issued on yet
another larger sized card measuring 2 1/16" x 2 15/16". Two series of 48 cards were issued, in singles and

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

panels and the set is quite well rendered. Leaf Gum had issued a set of boxers in 1948 and a handful of
pugilists had appeared in various subsets from both Topps and other manufacturers but boxing cards were
not too prevalent in the confectionery trade and there would be no further sets of this kind for decades.

It's difficult to tell but Ringside probably came out before another sports themed set. As fall approached
Topps issued a set of cards in the new size called Magic Football. Using the scratch off feature on the
backs again -the "magic" part of the equation- Magic Football totaled 75 subjects, all of them from the
college ranks. There were intense and odd colors on some cards, a little reminiscent of the Hopalong
Cassidy high numbers but the set was a big part of the Topps raising their visibility heading into 1952.

Before Topps could wrangle with Bowman over baseball they first had to make sure they had a surefire
winner to do it with. After the 1951 World Series was over, Sy Berger, fresh off his labors in the major
league clubhouses, was given the incredibly important task of designing the baseball cards for 1952, a
sign of how highly regarded he now was within the firm. To assist Sy, Joseph Shorin turned to their art
agency, Solomon & Gelman and hired their principals to come in house to work with Berger on the set.
Gelman came in as Director of New Product Development and at his insistence Ben Solomon was
christened Art Director. Shorin's pitch? Work for me or lose the account!

Ui )

Woody Gelman and Ben Solomon (courtesy Robert Edward Auctions and Lois Grabash)

1952-Giant Size Headaches

Woody Gelman had already spent a good part of his life cataloging a huge swath of American popular
culture in a process he referred to as "image retrieval" when he began work on the 1952 Baseball set.
With a vast library of paper ephemera and his inexhaustible knowledge of hundreds of old card designs
and graphics, Gelman was an ideal choice to work with Berger. Berger had a few ideas of his own and
from the start of the project both men worked with the knowledge that they had to make a splash with
these cards. So each night after work they would repair to Berger's humble abode to brainstorm and plan,
with a looming deadline far closer than either wanted to think about.

In order to grab the attention of the buyer, Berger and Gelman began with more real estate. They came up
with a much bigger card than Topps was using at the time, one which would measure out at 2 5/8" x 3 3/4"
and provide a working area that had sixty percent more room to work with than in 1951. Gelman went to
work on refining the fronts while Berger toiled to come up with a card back that included each player's
statistics from both the prior season and his lifetime, along with a brief biography and vitals. Given the
vast uncertainty about the project in terms of legality, cost, time and sales, Berger allegedly elected to
just say "Past Year" instead of 1951 when displaying the stats, thinking that they could sell the cards past
their intended expiration date if the need arose. Sy also wrote the player biographies.

The fronts were given bright colors but a variety of pastels, washes, bold colors and geometric shapes
also showed up in the backgrounds. There is a huge variety in these background graphics, especially in
the earlier series as Gelman mined his archive for inspiration. Berger apparently came up with the idea
for the player's autograph to appear on the name plate and proposed the use of each team's logo on the

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cards. Gelman seemingly designed the little stars bordering the name plate and over the course of a
couple of months a classic look was created.

Black and white photographs were enhanced with Kodak "Flexichrome" dyes then processed in a
darkroom using a convoluted process that produced stunning colors. Flexichrome technology worked
well in the production of trading cards and was a process that Topps would use for many decades. The
name plates, autographs and team logos were then pasted onto the Flexichromes for the reproduction of
images used in the set, as high tech mingled with low tech to produce an aesthetically pleasing result.

The 1952 baseball set was designed to be issued in four or perhaps five series originally, spaced about six
weeks apart. While the number of series was predetermined, the size of each beyond the first likely was
not and there is some circumstantial evidence Topps did not plan to issue more than 250 to 280 cards
despite having more contracts than that in hand. They also had their penny packs of Doubles to unload.

The inaugural series was set at eighty cards, proofed during the second week of February. Once the
colors and registration were green-lighted, the first cards came off the presses at Lord Baltimore Printing
and were shipped in uncut form to Bush Terminal on large pallets. There Topps inserted the gum and
wrapped and boxed the cards, all timed for release in the New York metropolitan area at the beginning of
March and the start of spring training; regions farther afield would get the cards a bit later then New York.

Coordinated advertising campaigns under Ad Manager Mitch Diamond were rolled out and a huge
cooperative promotion with Woolworth's was arranged. Available in penny or nickel packs, with brightly
colored green and red wrappers trumpeting the "Giant Size Cards" within, sales took off - the cards were a
smash! A second run was that corrected some errors was printed and then a third, which changed the
primary color on the reverses from black to red, likely due to some quality control issues. This all
happened before the second series came out in April, which was then unleashed like a gusher. The cards
were selling so fast Topps was forced to use different card stock within the second and third series to
keep up with demand.

As series one was flying off the shelves, Topps was handed a major victory by the U.S. Court for the
Eastern District of New York. Bowman's claims of trademark infringement (for "baseball"), unfair
competition and impairment of contract rights had been heard by the court and on March 31 st the decision
came down. In a ruling that addressed the mechanics of issuing baseball cards in 1951, Judge Galston
wrote that Bowman had no trademark for the word "baseball" and that Topps had not engaged in unfair
competition.

The judge, relying upon existing New York law then concluded that the players had given Bowman,
through its agent, a personal right to use their images for matters of advertising and that this was a
statutory right. Further, this right was non-assignable and as Bowman had pursued a legal strategy
asserting that the rights they had under contract with the players were property rights and therefore
assignable, Judge Galston ruled that they had not sustained a cause of action for impairment of
contractual rights for advertising purposes. The decision went on to state that the rights granted to Topps
and Bowman by the players would stand on the basis of the contracts. In other words, the contracts were
with the players, whose ultimate rights did not transfer to the companies, so neither company could
pursue claims against the other for actions of the players. Whichever company had a valid contract with a
player had the right to use that player's likeness and exclusive contracts would be determined by the
earliest date signed for periods that overlapped. While victorious, Topps had to know a second suit would
follow at some point.

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Outside the courtroom, variety stores and corner groceries were selling mountains of Topps baseball
cards. The second series had fifty cards, which was followed by third and fourth series with sixty cards
apiece. Following the planned release schedule of six weeks separation between series, this puts 250
cards on the streets around late August. A fifth series of 50 followed but was printed in lesser quantities
than the prior four. Topps seemingly had learned their lesson from the 1949 Varsity set as to the proper
time to end the sale of a sports issue and it appeared too they were running out of subjects. Even a
cursory look shows the star power of the fifth series was decidedly lacking as newer, greener players and
even some managers started to appear. Despite this, Topps went ahead with a last, or "second series"
that had some big time local players such as Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Bobby Thomson
portrayed within. There were enough big names to suggest they could have been waiting for the end of the
season (and the expiry of Bowman's period of exclusivity for 1952) as well but it's unclear if that is what
happened.

The sixth series of baseball cards shows signs of being a rushed affair; a common flaw created numerous
crooked nameplates which showed just how quickly things were moving as Topps was usually more
meticulous about such things. Many no names, new names, coaches and managers were included in a 97
card series that saw three double printed cards (Mickey Mantle, Bobby Thomson and Jackie Robinson), all
sold in a wrapper that was now blue and red and which was advertised specifically as a new series in
order to entice weary buyers. Topps managed to include an additional group of hall of famers in the high
numbers and was reportedly paying double the going rate in order to add some stars to the final run.

1952 Baseball on display at Woolworth's Fordham Road Store, Bronx, New York (unknown source)

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No less than 1 6 hometown Brooklyn Dodgers were granted space in the sixth series and 35 cards show
players and coaches from the three New York teams (12 Giants and 7 Yankees also appear). There are
also 14 Boston players (9 Red Sox and 5 Braves) so over half the high numbers portrayed players from just
two cities. Pittsburgh had 10 players, Cincinnati had 9 as did Chicago (all Cubs-there are no White Sox in
the high numbers). That's 77 cards for five cities covering eight teams. The two Philadelphia teams total 7
cards (4 Phillies, 3 Athletics), St. Louis has 7 as well (4 Cardinals, 3 Browns). Cleveland and Detroit
between them get 5 (3 and 2 respectively) and the Senators got one, a very lonely Connie Marrero. This
means 20 cards represented five cities and seven teams on the opposite end of the spectrum.

While there are hints in the hobby of penny packs containing high numbers, the overwhelming evidence is
that they were solely retailed in nickel packs and only in a few locales. New York City and Boston
probably got the bulk of the cards but a bunch made their way to upstate New York and Canada while the
series was "live." The entire high number experience was haphazard and Topps was left with truckloads
of returns. Some of these were shipped off to Venezuela and probably a few other exotic locales as well.
Even then there were literally tons of leftovers and Sy Berger and the Topps sales force allegedly tried for
years to move the cards in various schemes, each portrayed as more desperate than the last.

NEW SERIES.

-k JACKIE ROBINSON

* MICKEY MANTLE
if ROY CAMPANELLA
' • BOBBY THOMSON

* Collect over 400 Loading Stars

just out!

Over
400

Players

USTEN TO WE JACKIE

ROBINSON SHOW

EVERY SATURDAY 0:30 A.M. WNBC

1952 Topps "Second Series" ad shows local New York players (courtesy John Moran)

Still, the new card size had left Bowman reeling. Their 1952 baseball set was a lot like their 1951 offering
and had been advertised as being over 400 cards (only 252 were produced) and while quite attractive and
well executed, it was not modern looking, whereas Topps had come up with something that was state of
the art. Bowman's 1952 football cards initially started out the same size as their baseball cards and still
featured their usual well rendered but slightly stodgy illustrations but things would not remain that way.

The sales figures for the 1952 baseball cards show just how quickly Topps was growing. After Bowman's
"baseball card gum" outsold them in 1951 ($973,000 vs. $200,000), Topps sold $800,000 worth in 1952
(plus a small fraction of that in vending and Trading Card Guild sales) against Bowman's $731,000. The
Giant Size gambit had paid off for Topps very quickly.

Bowman by this time was a division of Haelan Laboratories, a name change agreed to by their Warren
Bowman-less board of directors in late April, following the decision from the court in their case against

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Topps. Haelan was trying to break into the burgeoning chlorophyll gum market and a scientific sounding
name no doubt was part of their master plan. Their president was now a fellow named William Savage but
some corporate maneuvering was clearly afoot at Haelan.

A wealthy Philadelphia businessman, John Connelly, was named to the board in late summer, following a
merger of his firm with Haelan Laboratories. As President of Connelly Containers, which almost certainly
manufactured the shipping cartons used by Bowman, he had started out in 1942 originally calling his
company Corrugated Products & Graphics. He was joined by James Davis on the board; these gentlemen
replaced two directors who had resigned. John Connelly would soon prove to be a key, if fleeting figure in
the bubble gum wars.

Reacting to the Giant Size Topps cards, Bowman countered and retooled their 1952 football set while it
was still in production and issued a larger sized card just 1/8" narrower than Topps' Giant Size game
changer and which was otherwise an exact replica of their smaller set. Bowman was going to fight Topps
in a battle of cardboard "giants" but this mix of sizes may have been confusing to their young consumers.
While the larger size was going to give the kids of the early 50's some truly wonderful looking cards, they
would not be the sole medium at Topps.

Fighting Marines was probably the next set issued by Topps in 1952; it may have contained some art
originally intended for Freedom's War as the entire 96 card run features official U.S Marine Corps
photographs and artwork, following a similar path as the earlier set, which had official U.S. and Canadian
Army photos in addition to some really fantastic artwork. The lack of any more sets issued in panels of
two after Fighting Marines suggests that the strategy was abandoned, even though some smaller-sized
sets would still be made. Given the amount of mis-scored and miscut cards that came from these panels,
the move seems like a natural one.

Fighting Marines, like Freedom's War, would see extensive distribution in Canada as Topps had started
engaging O-Pee-Chee to distribute their cards around 1950-51. Topps would ship uncut sheets of cards to
O-Pee-Chee's plant where they would be cut and wrapped with gum for sale in Canada. O-Pee-Chee had
their own network so there was a built in distribution system once the cards were packaged. This
arrangement continued until 1958, when O-Pee-Chee began licensing the cards directly from Topps for
printing in Canada. O-Pee-Chee eventually sold these cards under their own name and their relationship
with Topps would continue until 2005.

Topps also had to come up with a product that appealed to the less violent nature of things and they did
just that with a classic set called Look 'n See. Look 'n See featured richly detailed painted portraits and
shared many obverse design elements with the 1952 baseball cards but was issued in the smaller size
associated with Magic Football and Fighting Marines. The set did not feature panelized cards but their
size may have been a case of Topps hedging its bets or even a cost cutting move. No matter, the set was
immensely popular and featured yet another overlay ready reverse, where a piece of red cellophane was
used to reveal a quiz answer related to the celebrity or historical figure depicted on front.

Seventy five Look 'n See cards were released in a first series that sold well enough to warrant a 60 card
second series that was released in 1953. The set had a very long shelf life and its surprising Topps didn't
release a third series. It seems plausible that this card size was being phased out and a decision to just
go with the two series could have been made.

Capitalizing on the latest "health" craze to hit the country, chlorophyll products were mushrooming onto
shelves and store counters across the land and Topps was going to take full advantage. They had
introduced Clor-aid, which was the reconfigured Topps Gum marketed as green nuggets, in the summer of

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

1952. Selling for a dime, these little pieces of gum were another product aimed at toppling a larger, well
established competitor but American Chicle, the target this time, was a far bigger and more powerful
company than Bowman.

Another Giant Size set, both in execution and subject matter, simply called Wings, was issued as 1952
was about to be lifted into 1953. Wings featured 200 cards of airplanes, helicopters and all manner of
flying machines. Series one, with 100 cards came out in 1952 and was also released in Mexico, similar to
the US version but with the backs in Spanish, the first real example of Topps marketing south of the
border. Topps played some tricks with the latter half of the series and there is photographic and the
empirical evidence showing that the final 100 cards were issued in the spring of 1953, probably in two
series of 50 each. 1953 was going to be a pivotal year in the ongoing survival of Topps Chewing Gum and
they had a few ideas that would boost new sales through some very old and shady tactics.

1953-Lawsuits Galore

With the frenetic pace of 1952's issues behind them, 1953 brought a more planned out production cycle to
Topps. Wings was selling well and when the third series was introduced it consisted of 50 cards but with
a very devilish twist. Instead of two, consecutively numbered 50 card series finishing off the set, the last
two groups of fifty cards had two holes apiece. The first grouping lacked two numbers from #101-150 and
the second grouping had a matching couple of spaces. Two cards from the last series were tacked on to
the earlier series and the two "missing" cards from the prior series ended up in the last one. Pretty
sneaky but Topps was doing a lot of devious things in early 1953 to boost sales.

They were also busy defending against the latest suit from Bowman, now with Haelan Laboratories
identified as the plaintiff, in an action alleging inducement of breach of contract by Topps. Just before the
year's baseball cards were due to be shipped the trial judge dismissed the complaint but Haelan Labs filed
for a rehearing. While the appeal was being heard, the baseball cards from both firms hit the racks.

The year's baseball cards from Topps would feature painted portraits at a time when photography was
overtaking illustration. While it's a move that seems a little curious in retrospect, Topps may have been
trying to skirt Bowman's contractual restrictions simply by eliminating photographs and using paintings.
The design may have solely been intended to pass muster legally but it resulted in a classic issue. While
expertly rendered, Topps' painted look would have to compete with Bowman's stunning cards that
featured nothing but Kodachrome photographs on the front. Following the lead of the classic 1952 Topps
set in design and using their newly enlarged card size, Bowman had one-upped their primary competitor
with perhaps the single most renowned look of any post World War 2 card set. Their spokesman for the
issue, Joe DiMaggio, whose likeness would appear on the packaging in 1953, was quoted on the retail
display box as saying "Best cards I've seen."

Topps, with fewer players under contract that in 1952 and still smarting from the lack of high number
sales, planned to issue a smaller series of baseball subjects in 1953 but started off with yet another dirty
trick. The first series of cards would be numbered from 1-85 but Topps left five open spaces, mimicking
Wings, to be searched for in vain until the next series was issued. This tricky maneuver would be carried
through each series in a six week cycle.

Bowman, without resorting to shenanigans, at least on their numbering system, ended their color baseball
series at 160 subjects and it was not a planned end point. Between paying DiMaggio, the costs of
producing the set and legal fees, Bowman's profits were being squeezed. They ended up issuing an
additional 64 cards in black and white, a curiosity in a time when color was in full ascent but one
explained perhaps by its numbering scheme, which started over at #1 and the packaging, which

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

eliminated Joltirv Joe. It suggests that DiMaggio may have been at least partially compensated on the
amount of sales of the color cards and the best way to end that relationship would have been by issuing a
completely separate series.

While all of this was happening, Haelan Laboratories' Petition for Rehearing and Motion to Stay Mandate
was argued and it resulted in some adverse news for Topps. The panel of judges hearing the matter ruled
that Topps or its agents had induced breach of contract in many instances and that, in a portion of the
opinion that is justly famous today, affirmed that the right of publicity for use of a person's likeness rested
with the individual. This part of the case was then remanded back to trial court to determine which
contracts stood with each party and if the way such an agreement was procured had induced a breach of
a contract in good standing. Topps caught a break of sorts on the decision involving the stay as it could
have resulted in an immediate injunction halting the sale of their 1953 baseball cards. Topps then was
allowed to post a bond to cover potential damages and continue with issuing their cards.

While the speed of the next hearing seems positively supersonic compared to the time required to
schedule and hear a case today, Judge Galston, after hearing testimony from most of the Shorin brothers,
Sy Berger and Joan Crosby, among countless others, issued a decision near the end of May that sorted out
the various classes of contracts and ruled that Haelan Laboratories was entitled to a temporary injunction
in respect of certain players. Topps had to avoid making any new cards featuring players exclusive to
Bowman and if they still had any cards awaiting distribution with Bowman players portrayed that that
remained unwrapped, such cards would have to be pulled. This explains why six numbers in the fifth and
final series of Topps baseball cards were created but never issued.

Topps was allowed to sell any cards that had already been packaged and distributed but their bond had to
remain in place. The fate of these cards, or more precisely the damages to be assessed against Topps,
would be decided in another trial, although it appears the two firms entered into protracted settlement
negotiations instead. After all the injunctions and counter-injunctions had been filed, the motions argued
and heard, decided and appealed, Bowman ended up, among the pool of contested contracts, with a
whopping 388 players under their control. Topps' share of the pool was a paltry 26. Players who were not
part of this pool of contracts could, of course, sign with either company or any other firm.

Topps began signing younger and younger minor league players as a result of all this and it seems very
difficult to perceive them as coming out ahead at the time the decision was handed down. What they had
done though, was force Bowman to spend vast sums of money defending their rights to those 388 players.
In a 1965 Federal Trade Commission complaint, it was revealed that in one year (presumably 1953) that
Bowman had spent $110,000 in legal expenses (in a year where baseball card sales were only a hair over
$300,000) and Topps had paid only slightly less, albeit against baseball card sales of $900,000.

Furthermore, by aggressively signing prospects, Topps was locking certain players up for the future.
Bowman may have had a lot of existing contracts but their ability to entice new players was being
compromised due to a lack of funds and effects of the financial pressure on Bowman can be seen in the
rest of their offerings in 1953. Excepting NFL football, which was also a full color, Kodachrome release,
the rest of their sets consisted of recycled artwork (Antique Autos and Frontier Days) or photographs from
third party sources ( Television & Radio Stars of NBC). The edges of their empire were fraying but Bowman
was fighting to survive and even started issuing 29 cent sleeves of three multi-card cello packs under the
rubric of their Card Collectors Club to try and keep up with Topps's own Trading Card Guild.

It is worth looking at how Topps packaged their cards at this point, since they had to pull the cards that
were ready for packaging in the 1953 baseball high numbers. Topps' main printer for over a decade
beginning in the late 1940's was Lord Baltimore Press, whose plant in their namesake city was quite

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

large. Through the Solomon & Gelman art agency, which was still operational despite the hirings of Ben
and Woody by Topps, all production materials were sent to Lord Baltimore's New York agent - one Mr.
Franklin Fitch at the time the 1953 cards were printed - and then large sheets, containing 200 cards on
two, one hundred card "halves" were run off.

Some wrappers were printed in the same location as the cards and the retail boxes as well but not
always. Glassine inserts were produced by a Philadelphia firm called Kehr Paper Products for a while and
Topps at this time sourced their heavier duty, corrugated shipping cartons from D.L.& D. Container Corp.
in Brooklyn. The printed card sheets were palletized for transportation in Baltimore and then could arrive
in Bush Terminal via rail, truck or barge. Wrappers were printed on giant rolls that would also be shipped
to Brooklyn and then the gum, which depending upon the specific type, was produced either in Bush
Terminal or in one of their nearby factories in Brooklyn, was readied. Cards were cut on the production
line and then wrapped with gum and any advertising inserts, then boxed. Despite numerous assertions in
countless articles to the contrary over the last sixty years or so, the cards were not printed at Bush
Terminal; that facility primarily manufactured gum, held the Topps offices and had warehouse space.
Printing was the job of a select few third party firms.

One non-Topps project Woody Gelman worked on was the 1953 edition of The American Card Catalog,
which came out in February. Jefferson Burdick's masterwork and early hobby roadmap was undergoing
its first new printing and update since 1946 and Woody Gelman was the Associate Editor in Charge of
Advertising & Publication. His address as shown on the title page was the same as Solomon & Gelman's
in Manhattan; no matter where he hung his hat Gelman was a busy man. Topps had a large ad in the
Catalog and Bowman did as well but the Topps piece, touting its big sellers of the previous two years, was
the only one to feature photographs out of dozens of advertisers and stood out in its boldness.

TOPPS CHEWING GUM

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

MAKERS OF BAZOOKA THE ATOM BUBBIE GUM
"YOUNG AMERICA'S FAVORITE''

WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER
OF PICTURE CARD GUM

Topps ad from 1953 American Card Catalog (author's collection)

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This was the beginning of a long association, in a sort of symbiotic triangle, featuring Topps, Gelman and
the trading card hobby beyond the kids buying cards at retail. Gelman's step-father, Sam Rosen, was one
of the earliest card dealers. Rosen had started selling cards at Woody's behest following his 1951
retirement from the garment business and Gelman was able to purchase and funnel excess Topps
inventory to the business. The business, in all probability run as the Trading Card Guild's mail order arm to
give it an air of Topps authenticity, became known as the Card Collector's Company upon the death of
Rosen and was run by Woody and then his son Richard, following Woody's passing in 1978.

In addition to all of this, Solomon & Gelman were engaged to come up with a better character to star in
Bazooka comics. A parade of cheaply licensed characters and strips had come and gone and Joe Shorin
wanted something a bit more permanent for his perennial bestseller so he naturally turned to his art
agency. Solomon & Gelman had previously created a campaign for the Joe Lowe Corporation starring a
character named Popsicle Pete, which had captured Shorin's imagination and led him to believe the duo
could work the same magic for Bazooka. Ben and Woody would work on this project for close to a year but
they eventually would succeed in making Shorin's vision come true.

Bazooka-was not the only gum product drawing attention. Alarmed by the similarities in packaging of the
nugget sized version of Topps Cum as compared to Chiclets, the American Chicle Company had filed a
lawsuit against Topps in the U.S. Eastern District Court. Alleging trademark infringement and seeking an
injunction to have the Topps product's packaging changed, American Chicle was met by a counterclaim
asserting their trademark was invalid as it had fallen into common usage. American Chicle prevailed on
the former point and Topps on the latter. While Topps was instructed to change the look of their package,
they were not found liable for damages.

Unhappy with the lack of damages in Judge Byers' ruling and no doubt wanting to exact a measure of
revenge, American Chicle then filed suit in the same courts against Topps but this time pertaining to Clor-
>l/</gum. Topps had used some phrasing on the C lor- Aid box that stated "Now 10 cents" and with a
resemblance to the Clorets packaging (selling for fifteen cents) that American Chicle felt hit too close to
home, litigation ensued.

Once again American Chicle sued for trademark infringement and sought injunctive relief, while Topps
countersued alleging, once again, that the American Chicle trademark had lapsed. American Chicle
prevailed on the infringement suit and Topps was ordered to change their packaging, although they were
allowed to retain the Clor-Aid name and escaped any financial penalty. Topps meanwhile had appealed
the earlier decision involving Topps and Chiclets, as had American Chicle and in turn American Chicle
appealed the current decision concerning Clorets. The Chiclets appeal was rejected and American Chicle
was determined by the court to have a valid trademark and Topps indeed had to change their packaging in
order to keep selling their gum nuggets that mimicked Chiclets. The Clorets suit dragged on though.

Litigation was a constant theme with Topps (as it was with all the bubble gum manufacturers) but so was
entertainment. They turned to the movies as summer came on and issued a set called Tarzan & the She
Devil. In keeping up with the craze of the day, the fronts were rendered in 3-D style and required
ubiquitous red and blue glasses to be viewed properly. This was a Giant Size set as Topps was (almost)
fully committed to the format by now. Two other popular sets also hit the shelves this year: Who-z-at Star
and World On Wheels.

Who-z-at Star-was a single series issue designed to compete with Bowman's Television & Radio Stars of
NBC, itself a popular set and featured expert Flexichrome enhanced renderings of many of the biggest
stars of stage and screen. Wheels, to use the name on the packaging that sprung from the simplistic yet
effective Wings type descriptor from 1952, was a comprehensive look at automobiles (and a few

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

additional esoteric vehicles) from around the globe and was a strong seller, spending close to a year on
the shelves and sticking around long enough to introduce the 1955 models, which generally started being
sold around Labor Day of the year prior.

Topps also reissued Tatoo around this time, in a larger size that still sold for a penny. This was possibly to
counter a cheap Bowman novelty issue called Uncle Miltie or just an attempt to see if a reissue would
work, giving Topps a cheaply won revenue stream. It may also have been a test run for a new size of gum
tab and wrapper. There was even a follow-up to their 1949 Meet The Presidents game, this time
manufactured by the more established Selchow & Righter in an updated version but using less expensive
aluminum coins. Using older styles in a new way was something that points to the direct involvement of
Woody Gelman and Topps would turn to this practice repeatedly over the next two decades.

1954 - Teddy Ballgames

For the Shorin family, 1954 would bring the death of their matriarch, Rebecca, who passed away in early
February. It was also an eventful time at Topps. With the courts deciding the players could control their
own images, Topps and Bowman played out a cycle that led to a fairly even distribution of baseball
players over their sets. Bowman had 136 exclusives while Topps was right behind with 129. An
additional 82 players were non-exclusive and of course as the season went on, each company struck new
deals with various players as their big league or contractual fortunes changed.

While an exclusive contract could theoretically net a player more money, some of them discovered that a
non-exclusive contract was just as good since you could take the smaller sums offered by each company
in such circumstances and still make as much, if not more, with a few smaller deals. Some players, on
the fringes or just starting out, likely were not even given the chance to sign an exclusive. Then there
were the true superstars like Stan Musial and Ted Williams.

Musial, a Bowman player in 1952-53, signed a deal with Rawlings Sporting Goods that would take him out
of nationally distributed gum and confectionery sets for five years. Musial had already missed appearing
in the 1950-51 Bowman sets and was ahead of most players in controlling how his image was used. His
absence from those two Bowman sets, which were key in terms of affirming contractual order being the
controlling factor in which company could issue a card, may have been a result of his wanting to avoid
any type of automatically renewing option.

The situation with Ted Williams was a bit different. An expert pilot and genuine World War 2 hero, a very
unhappy Williams was called back to active duty in the Marine Corps in January of 1952. A Bowman
exclusive in 1950-51, he was off to war again after appearing in a scant six games for the Red Sox.
Williams did not return until very late in the 1953 season and by doing so may have inadvertently avoided
an option in his contract binding him exclusively to Bowman for a year after 1951. Neither Topps nor
Bowman issued a card of him in 1952, although he did sign a deal with a company named Berk-Ross,
which issued small sets of cards in 1951 and 1952 and had one of Williams in the latter.

Topps signed Williams to a long term deal upon his return and the slugger was given two cards, the first
and last, in the 1954 baseball set to commemorate the deal. His signing with Topps also caused some
major problems at Haelan Laboratories, a decided bonus for Topps.

Bowman's 1954 baseball set was a bland affair, 224 in number and decidedly muted in tone and color.
Williams was slated to be #66 in their set but his signing with Topps turned out to be legally binding and

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

his Bowman card had to be pulled from production, although after some had been issued in packs. He
was replaced by Jimmy Piersall, a teammate who gained a second card in the process and was added due
to Bowman using a specific team sequence for their cards. In order to keep the sequence intact, another
Red Sox player was needed but no matter, the damage was done and a premiere player lost.

Sy Berger's favorite baseball set featured a front with both a Kodachrome color portrait and a smaller,
black and white "News Action Photo" of the player as Topps continued to try and outflank Bowman.
Norman Miller by this time had taken on many of the text writing duties once assumed by Berger and his
work shared the back of the card with some very colorful graphics. The Topps cards were quite well
received; Bowman's set was not, if latter day accounts are to be believed.

While they were busy issuing cards, Topps got the final ruling on their appeal of the Clorets case and
received a stern rebuke from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Ruling that Topps' practices were
clearly designed to confuse consumers, the judges banned the use of the word "dor-Aid" on any future
Topps products. Indeed, the ruling stated that the egregious behavior of Topps gave no other option and
required the brand be excised from the marketplace. Topps was out of the gum nugget business, at least
in the United States, for the foreseeable future.

Exhibit from American Chicle vs. Topps Chewing Gum (courtesy Jeff Shepherd)

With the baseball cards selling strongly, aided by yet another scheme to leave some subjects out of one
series while including some from another, later series, Topps also had the continuing sales of Wheels to
rely upon. Bowman took a cue from the Topps boys and issued a couple of military-themed sets in 1954.
U.S. Navy Victories was a classic looking set, with beautiful paintings but only 48 in number. Another set,
Power for Peace, used official U.S. Government photos and featured lurid displays such as exploding
atomic bombs and B 57's loaded with ordnance across its 96 cards.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps, meanwhile issued yet another 3-D set, this time showcasing Tarzan's Savage Fury hut oddly
featuring a 1951 movie three years after it had premiered. The timing gives pause; perhaps there was a
contractual obligation that required a second Tarzan set but Topps was mercifully done with these
vertigo-inducing cards after this. Still, Topps wanted cards that could give a child more than just a nice
picture and some words and issued a set in the smaller size last used with Look 'n See.

Scoop was one of the last Topps sets issued in the Magic Football size and like Look 'n See it would not
be issued in panels of two. This colorful set paired a newspaper headline and photo on the back with a
colorful front featuring paintings sometimes obscured by two thick, black scratch off bands that
essentially hid 70% of the card from view. The scratch off feature would not appear on all cards in the five
cent packs and some bands had a version of the set's advertising tagline "Scratch It, Peel It, See It Now!"
printed on them as well. The set was issued in two series of 78 cards each and marked the end of the
smaller, realistically painted card era at Topps as photography, even as retouched as it was at the time,
took over.

While the cards were being issued and the profits being counted, Joseph Shorin was about to be granted
his most fervent wish as Solomon & Gelman had come up with a new mascot for Bazooka. Allegedly
based upon Shorin's son's antics as a kid, a reincarnated Bazooka Joe would be adorning the comics
inside every pack of Bazooka and would finally give Topps the iconic kind of character they had long been
looking to develop. Bazooka Joe & His Gang would initially be drawn by Wesley Morse, an older artist who
had illustrated a number of "Tijuana Bibles" in the 1930's, as the character and the bubble gum would be
inexorably linked from the Spring of 1954 forward.

Once again Topps had no football set to compete with Bowman's 128 card effort. Topps though, did
manage to issue a 60 card hockey set that featured highly realistic oil paintings and a stellar design that
unfortunately was not seen by too many people. Primarily sold in Canada, a small fraction of the cards
seem to have been issued in the United States possibly only in the New York City area and Topps would
abandon this segment of the sports market for a few more years. The odd distribution pattern of the set
remains a mystery as four of the six teams in the league were based in the U.S. Even with the rabid
hockey fans of Canada factored in, it seems like more cards should have been released in the lower 48.

1 955-The Decisive Year

Topps entered 1955 in a reasonably strong position as compared to Bowman but if you looked solely at
their baseball offerings, the opposite would have appeared to be true. Moving to 220 card sheets was the
only real development for Topps as the year began. Squeezed down to a planned 21 card set, a repeat of
1953's contractual shenanigans saw four cards pulled at the last second from Topps' last series of
baseball cards.

Bowman came out strong and had a very timely and attractive TV-themed design with a whopping 320
cards, including a gaggle of major league umpires that popped up in their last series. Sales figures for
Bowman in 1955 are not available but they had sold $602,000 worth of baseball cards in 1954, while
Topps had reached $1 Million in sales for the first time. Topps, with 44 fewer cards than the year prior,
saw their sales dip slightly in 1955.

Bowman only had the one baseball offering while Topps, using a player selection mostly based upon the
background art of their first series, issued a foldable card called Double Header that cleverly allowed the

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

use of two images on one card. Advertised in conjunction with the regular cards, Topps was able to
extract additional pennies from their coterie of buyers even with their meager stable of players.

While Bowman was looking to the present, if not the future with their baseball cards, Topps would take an
unexpected detour to the past. In a move that smacks of Woody Gelman's involvement, a slightly
reconfigured reissue of Magic Photos, this time called Hocus Focus, barkened back to the penny tab
insert days. The one cent version was sold just like the tabs of 1948-49, with a card stuck between the
two wrappers. A nickel version in panels was also produced but there were differences in the set
composition and sizing of each price point's cards, yielding fantastically rare cards in the penny version
and merely ridiculously scarce ones in the five cent configuration.

Hocus Focus was not the only reissue as a reborn set of Funny Foldees also came out, with a few
potentially offensive cards (that were apparently thought to be un-offensive in 1949) changed to appease
the dark forces circling around children's entertainment in the middle of the Fifties. The motives for this
bizarre spate of undersized reissues are unknown except perhaps they are interpreted as a response to a
Bowman set called Magic Pictures that also featured different configurations depending upon the pack
price.

Thankfully, Topps had some other issues they could rely upon and when a Disney movie called Davy
Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier debuted in May and started a nationwide craze for coonskin caps, they
were at the ready with an 80 card set that saw massive production. Following Davy's trail westward, the
set sold and sold, even garnering huge sales in Canada. Bowman had no answer to this set and had to
wait for their annual football release before they could sell more cards, dealing a fatal blow to their
balance sheet.

As the Shorins beloved Brooklyn Dodgers raced to the National League pennant and what would famously
become their only World Series victory, tragedy struck the family. On September 7 th , Ira Shorin, survivor
of a previous heart attack, was stricken again while fishing with friends off Sandy Hook, New Jersey and
died before the boat could return to shore. The Secretary-Treasurer of Topps became the first of the four
Shorin brothers to die, at the all too young age of 55.

Ira Shorin's obituary hints at the wealth being generated by Topps for the family. At the time of his death,
Ira lived on Central Park West and was listed as a director or benefactor of no less than eight educational
and philanthropic organizations. Joseph Shorin was about to move to Manhattan as well and would end
up living at One Fifth Avenue, a premiere address in the city, showing that fabulous sums of money were
practically being minted at Bush Terminal.

Topps still had another classic issue or two to slay Bowman with and they finally issued another college
football set in 1955. With the Giant Size card canvas giving them enough room to finally depict some
action, All American gave America's young gridiron fans 100 cards of some of the finest players, past and
present, to ever take to the field. The set gave Topps the means to finally finish off Bowman as well.

The Topps nickel baseball packs in 1955 had contained six cards. Bowman, in a counter-move, gave the
buyer nine cards for the same price. Topps countered with nine card nickel packs of All American while
Bowman made it ten for five cents with their NFL cards. Topps then started stuffing as many cards as
they could fit into ten cent cello packs, reaching as many as 22 per pack. Bowman just could not keep up
as Topps flooded the market and had to curtail the production of their last two football series.

And if All American wasn't enough to send Bowman packing, Rails & Sails provided the coup de grace. A
hybrid set, featuring trains and ships in what clearly looks to have been intended originally as two

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

separate, smaller issues, Rails & Sails featured expertly designed cards and clever, playful backs over
two hundred subjects and was anticipated to be a big enough seller that chunks were skip numbered
again, just like in 1954. Topps even managed to have the set reproduced on Doeskin Tissue pack
stiffeners, along with a selection of Wings cards, a deal lucrative enough for their Topps Chewing Gum
branding to be replaced by Doeskin's on the cards. Bowman, once the producer of sets featuring the
largest and most fearsome vehicles ever made, was unable to come up with any true non- sports issues in
1955 and had turned into a company that was "in play".

John Connelly, no doubt using his Haelan Laboratories board seats to full advantage, was able to have
Connelly Containers acquire the assets of Bowman Gum in 1955. Continuing to produce Warren Bowman's
beloved Blony and competing with Topps while the two firms sparred in court does not seem to have been
a particularly appealing prospect for Mr. Connelly. While allowing for the possibility of a 1956 baseball
issue, Bowman may not have had the means to actually produce a set. Connelly was preparing, as it
turned out, to sell off his newly acquired asset.

1956 - The End and the Beginning

In a deal that had been in the works since the 1953 baseball contracts litigation and was finalized on
January 20th, Topps announced on February 18, 1956 that they had acquired all of the baseball player
contracts, gum producing assets and trademarks of the Bowman Gum Division of Connelly Containers, to
take effect on April 1 st . In short, Topps was obtaining all of Bowman's brands and their rights for baseball
and football. Connelly Containers, as part of the deal, would not produce a 1956 baseball set, or any other
sets at all and in fact agreed to "negative covenants" (a non-compete agreement) which barred them from
doing so for a period of five years. Joseph Shorin had outlasted, outspent, and just out-everything-ed his
biggest competitor and finally had his prize, all for $200,000. While spun as a sale, this figure was
described in later proceedings as a legal settlement.

Connelly Containers box certificate, 1960's (courtesy "RickChciuk")

John Connelly, not wanting to be part of a consumer oriented business, took his cash and in 1957
acquired Crown Cork & Seal, a behemoth of a food container manufacturer and went on to become one of
the wealthiest of Philadelphians. He would die in 1990 as one of the most respected men in the City of
Brotherly Love and his company would become a global concern on a scale that would have been
incomprehensible even to a man such as Joseph Shorin or even Warren Bowman.

Topps still had to move product though and put out a 340 card baseball series that included, for the first
time, team cards and even more importantly, checklists. Now that there was no danger of players being
pulled due to contractual wrangling, Topps was happy to let their little buyers know exactly who they

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

were chasing after with their pennies and nickels. They were also happy to let Leaf Brands know they
were not going to give up their hard won player contracts easily.

After Topps rejected a proposal by Leaf to share the ballplayers rights (rightly suspecting this was a ploy
to get copies of the player contracts) they wrote a letter to each club's player representative stating that
"a player cannot sign an exclusive contract with one party and then sign a conflicting contract with
another without exposing himself to a law suit." The irony of this letter is obvious but it worked, at least
for the rest of the decade, when Fleer would aggressively inject itself into the baseball gum market,
followed meekly by Leaf a year later.

Another series of Davy Crockett cards would soon follow (as would a series of Crockett tattoos) and in
keeping with the western theme, a set called Round-Up, featuring an array of western folk heroes such as
Geronimo and Buffalo Bill in eight 1 card subseries and which recalled the old X-Ray Round-Up name. A
set of Flags also saw issue in 1956 and in Giant Size form as Topps was very much reaching into the past
for inspiration.

1956 Topps Football Trading Card Guild cello box (courtesy Robert Edward Auctions)

With the prized NFL contract in hand, Topps also issued their first pro football set, which measured out at
1 20 cards, plus a handful of contest card inserts and yes, a checklist. These contests were a strange idea
on the face of it as the need to draw attention to their cards seems like it would have lessened after
Bowman had been snuffed but Topps was gathering valuable marketing information as kids across the
country mailed in thousands of contest forms. After years of reacting and trying to beat out Bowman
through sheer volume, Topps was starting to take a more measured approach now that they had just
spent a ton of money to buy out their competitor and a little cheap and easy canvassing was a typical
Topps way of doing things.

With 1956 being an election year in the U.S., themed products were an inevitability. In keeping with their
recent trend of reaching into the near past to keep things a little more prudent financially, It Happened To
A President also saw reissue in 1956, in a red tinted version that wrapped up a reconfigured Golden Coin
set. There is some thought this configuration was only issued in Canada but that seems to be an odd
marketing model for such a series. The Meet The Presidents game did not see a reissue after the election
due to Eisenhower repeating but Topps would certainly have been prepared to do so as they would keep
current with the first two elections in the 1960's by reissuing the game each time a new president was
elected.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps also put out a set of U.S. Presidents, a 1952 Bowman release that was slightly reconstituted to
reflect the new manufacturer but retained Bowman's slightly thinner card size and artwork. Purported to
be a test of Bowman's equipment, this was probably Topps' first encounter with Zabel Brothers, the large
and well known Philadelphia printing house that had been doing fine work for Bowman since late 1949.
Shrinking things down was going to be a top priority as the year came to a close.

Once again coming up with a transportation themed set, Topps released Photo Album Jets, a 240 card
series of black and white photographs accented with a red stripe in the old Magic Football size and for the
sake of simplicity now referred to simply as Jets. Pushing the photography angle, Topps also issued a
separate album designed just for these cards, which helpfully contained a checklist and sold for fifteen
cents. Jets seems like a calculated experiment that took off initially and then came down to earth. The
lack of other sets in this format and the wide availability of these cards in Trading Card Guild cello packs
attest to a result that Topps assuredly did not want to repeat.

Topps would conclude 1956 with an exciting set featuring the biggest star in music. Elvis Presley was
issued to coincide with the release of the King's first movie, Love Me Tender and the last twenty cards in
the set featured stills from the film. The 66 Elvis cards were the first in a new 2 %" x 3 !4" format now
commonly referred to as "Standard Size" and which allowed more cards to be printed per sheet, with 132
taking the place of 110 and setting up the "rule of 11" when it comes to sets produced by Topps in this
size, reflecting how many would cards appear per row on the sheet. Elvis was printed by Zabel Brothers in
Philadelphia, as Topps now had the choice of two printers for their work. Using their usual Bubbles Inc.
nom de plume as Elvis was quite controversial at the time, Love Me Tender was released just ahead of
Thanksgiving and Elvis gave Topps a huge holiday season boost.

Less than nine years after they issued their first cards, Topps had leapfrogged sizes multiple times,
outfought Bowman and then applied some well needed discipline to their production processes. Bazooka
was still a world beater, Bozo gumballs were filling up vending machines in more and more supermarkets
across North America as the adolescent and teen populations grew almost without limits while Topps was
busy making plans for further international expansion. The best was yet to come for the company.

Q&HO

TOPPS AND BOWMAN SALES FIGURES 1951-56

Bowman

Topps

Year

Baseball Card Gum

Total Sales

Baseball Card Gum

Baseball Cards-No Gum

1951

$973,000

$3,050,000

$200,000

Unavailable

1952

731,000

2,750,000

800,000

Unavailable

1953

301,000

2,140,000

900,000

Unavailable

1954

602,000

2,480,000

1,000,000

Unavailable

1955

Unavailable

950,000

Unavailable

1956

Not Applicable

1,500,000

$70,000

Note:

Sales of Topps Baseball Card Gum were roughly 40

percent of their Bazooka sales during the above peril

between 15 and 30 percent of total safes from 1951-55.

(Original Table by Bob Lemke)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

SET DESCRIPTIONS, CHECKLISTS & PRICING

The set descriptions that follow are intended to be comprehensive but information on some Topps
products is still sketchy, especially on the 1948-50 sets and 1955's Hocus Focus.

Sets are presented in as close to alphabetical order as possible; to avoid confusion some of the Baseball
issues from 1951-56 are presented slightly out of order. Sets with the same name issued in different years
appear chronologically.

For most sets, the name given by Topps to the cards forms the header while alternate names are detailed
below it. For sets issued with gum that had its own name, both are described. Some sets are known by
slightly alternate names and these are shown as well.

American Card Catalog (ACC) numbering is shown for all sets and is based upon the final, 1960 version of
Jefferson Burdick's life's work. Some Topps sets had different numbering in the 1953 ACC. While not
widely used today for cards issued after World War 2, ACC numbering is still often the best way to
delineate sets that are close in appearance.

Year(s) of issue are shown for all sets; most, if not all cards from this era were reissued or resold in some
fashion by Topps. Some would simply be trotted out again a year or two after issue, sometimes in new
wrappers, sometimes not. Some would be sold on an after-market basis in subsequent years in vending
machines, distributed through their Trading Card Guild and the Gelman family's Card Collector's Company.
Some sets were issued right as the calendar turned to the next year or were so popular that multiple
series were issued over many months and in staggered releases across the United States. Still others
bear copyrights from one year but were issued in another. Every effort has been made to identify the
proper year of release but some variance would have occurred from locale to locale and distribution
becomes more removed from the actual date of issue the farther west and south you get from Brooklyn.

Card sizes, usually based upon my own measurements, are given in inches and also millimeters.
Measurements have been taken to the nearest 16 th of an inch and closest half millimeter. Some variation
in card sizing is possible with all issues of this era but particularly prior to 1952. Sizing does not take into
account tab remnants remaining on cards issued prior to 1952.

It is quite possible every set listed herein was issued in Canada but a few have not been confirmed,
especially those released before 1951. Sets that have more than one series would sometimes only see
later series issued in Canada.

Known packaging configurations are shown. All one cent packs are presumed to contain one card and
one piece of gum unless noted. Five cent packs, also presumed to hold gum unless noted, would have
varying amounts of cards depending upon year of issue and the vicissitudes of the marketplace at any
given time. Generally, once the Giant Size cards appeared in 1952, they would contain six cards per pack
in the U.S. and be repackaged with only four cards for the Canadian market. Nickel packs and even full
boxes appear with some regularity even today from Canada.

Topps would sometimes insert more cards than were advertised into the nickel packs and occasionally
cards from a prior year or series would be found mixed into these as well, usually in very limited
quantities. Most US sets were also issued in vending boxes, which normally held 500 cards and always
contained no gum. Any changes to these configurations are noted accordingly.

Wrapper materials are difficult to identify and many wrappers from 1950 on are advertised as wax but are
in fact, made of glassine. Prior to that they were mostly made of paper. Plans to properly identify the
packaging materials will have to wait as a lack of raw wrappers makes identification difficult at present.

The elongated, red TCG early cellophane packs generally held 8 two card panels (16 cards total) while the
more traditional, overwrapped clear cello packs sometimes contained as many as 23 cards, especially in
1 955 as Topps delivered the coup de grace to Bowman. Both types of cello packs are presumed to have

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

been issued without gum. There were no Rak Paks produced by Topps during this era; any found today
with cards from 1952-56 in them were produced after the fact and are not legitimate Topps issues.

Base set sizes are shown; variations and "pushed" cards such as unnumbered checklists are not counted
in this figure but are referenced in the set descriptions and checklists. Topps also inserted waxy paper
advertisements into many of the Giant Size card packs; these are not considered to be part of the set they
happened to be issued with. Some early five cent packs also had a plain piece of coated paper, generally
of the same type used for the wrapper, to help separate the gum from the cards but the use of this was
not always consistent. Inserts with Bazooka premiums and comics also appeared in many packs of the
era.

The number of series for a given set generally corresponds to the number of press sheets prepared for
each set during this era. Press sheet sizes would vary in the early days but from 1952-54 a sheet of Giant
Size cards contained 200 subjects, with each half having 100. The half sheets today are commonly just
referred to as uncut sheets in the hobby. Giant Size cards from 1955-56 were printed on 220 card full/110
card half sheets. The general consensus is that 1955 Baseball was the first set printed this way but, while
indeed produced in this array, its primacy is unconfirmed.

Set Descriptions are based upon the best available information at the time of publication of this guide.

Checklists are presented in as logical an order as possible and are designed for ease of printing and use.
Known variations are listed on the same line where possible or at the end of the checklist if impractical to
show in a horizontal alignment. The "normalized" version of the variation is generally shown in the main
column of the checklist and is ordered by the text on the obverse or, if there is none, by the information
on the reverse. A number of sources have been used to create these checklists and they are based, in
almost all instances, upon visual evidence.

Checklists in some instances will have additional listings for secondary information of interest to
collectors, such as team or subset.

Common abbreviations used in the checklists are:

SP-Short Print (a.k.a. Single Print), is a card that was printed in lesser quantities than the majority of
cards in a set or series, usually, but not always, by a factor of half. This is an abused term in many auction
descriptions and price guides and is not always the result of observing both half sheets that make up
most Topps series starting in 1952. Some SP designations in hobby guides have been assigned on the
basis of only one half sheet being sighted (sometimes due to no extant full press sheets surviving) or are
based upon tabulation research from large lots, unopened packs and vending boxes. Due to poor collation
of most early issues, tabulation research cannot be taken as a sole reason to label a card "SP". "Pushed"
cards such as the unnumbered checklists that were not printed on the same sheets as the regular cards
but were prevalent in the 1955 and '56 sports issues would certainly be SP's by any definition. These
have a higher ratio (but mind you, an unknown one) when compared to the rest of a run than do the
"ordinary" short prints, i.e where as a normal SP has a 2:1 ratio, a pushed checklist might be on the order
of q5:1. Commonly accepted SP's are not always identified hereafter and such information is shown only
if verified.

DP-Double Print, a card appearing twice as often on an uncut full or half sheet than other cards.

TP-Triple Print, a card appearing thrice as often on an uncut full or half sheet than other cards.

OP-Over Print, a card appearing once again as often on an uncut full or half sheet as other cards on the
sheet, usually in a ratio of 3:2.

Pricing is one of the most erratic areas of the hobby. Auctions with two bidders can set records while
others with two dozen bids can result in grossly undervalued winnings. Ordinary sales of cards have
become scarcer with the explosion of online and catalog auctions, so any pricing is subject to
interpretation.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Except for a handful of sets, cards herein are priced, raw, in Excellent (EX) condition, which reflects the
realities of vintage cards; not many that have survived over five or six decades are Near Mint (NM) or
better and such exemplars are increasingly being slabbed by third party graders. No pricing is given for
third party graded cards as these can be readily determined online. Pricing of wrappers, packs and empty
boxes also reflect raw, EX condition but it should be remembered that these are often quite scarce and
pricing can be volatile.

Super Commons, as defined in the checklists, are generally found in the sports sets and refer to a subject
in greater demand than a normal common would be but not to a star. Examples would include Brooklyn
Dodgers cards, borderline but as yet unelected potential Hall of Famers such as Minnie Minoso and cards
that are perceived to be more popular for a variety of reasons (Heisman Trophy winners or somewhat
controversial subject matter for example). These can vary from region to region in the country although
the Internet has made such distinctions less relevant than in the past; a "hometown favorite" is perhaps
the best way to think of this category. No specific subjects are shown for this category but Brooklyn
Dodgers and New York Yankees cards that would otherwise be commons usually fall into this category.

Semi Star refers to a player who is a hometown favorite, in a rookie card situation, a low level Hall of
Famer or a New York Yankee "name". Essentially these players have an appeal to a distinct segment of
collectors and command a certain premium.

Grading is another highly subjective part of collecting. While pricing "in grade" can vary from set to set,
especially among the tab-sized cards or cards with full bleed borders, examples in Very Good to Excellent
(VG-EX) condition usually see a 25 or 30% drop from the EX price. Very Good (VG) cards sell for about half
of an EX card, those in Good (G) at half again and then half again for examples in Poor (P) to Fair (F)
condition. Early tab-sized cards can prove an exception to this as high grades are hard to find with some
of these sets and VG or lesser cards can sell for astounding prices. P-F cards are often derided as mere
filler but remain quite popular with many collectors. Cards in this grade with fronts that present well but
otherwise exhibiting the inevitable major problems associated with the grade, usually significant back
damage, can sell for prices in excess of a Good condition card.

Going the other way, things are not so settled. A NM tab-sized card could sell for many multiples
compared to an EX example while a common 1956 baseball card might only sell at a slight premium. Two
or three times the EX price is not unreasonable in many circumstances for this grade. Mint (M) cards from
this era cannot be accurately priced using a ratio and are almost all slabbed at this point anyway. Market
realities are such that sales of truly Mint vintage cards in raw condition are virtually unknown anymore.
Some raw cards may appear Mint but will, upon close inspection, turn out to be trimmed (as will some
slabbed ones as well). While it is conventional hobby wisdom that such cards are technically worthless,
or nearly so, it is not a truism and some trimmed examples of popular subjects have sold for relatively
high prices. As such, it is not possible to predict what a trimmed card will sell for.

Condition sensitive cards, usually the first and last in a set or series but also those printed along the
edges or, more to the point, in a corner of a sheet are subject to pricing variances that cannot be
expressed in a simple ratio. While logic would dictate that, as the grades of these cards decrease, the
pricing should reflect more "normal" levels, this is not usually how it works. This is particularly true of the
#1 card in many sets. Edge and corner printed cards, especially those in the lower right corner of a sheet,
are often found with severe off centering, miscutting or damage sustained in production as well.

Sets printed on the inside of a paper gum tab and some larger penny wrappers will all have a small jagged
tear near the middle of the top that extends to and usually touches the top edge. This is a mechanical
production characteristic and not a result of opening the wrapper. It is thought to have occurred when
the outer wrapper was held in place by a pin on the line and then glued while moving along the production
line once it was wrapped around the gum. See the 1 948 Tatoo listing for an example of this.

Detailed grading guidelines can be found in all major hobby publications and will not be repeated here; the
EX standard is used for pricing in this guide and describes a card without creases or intrusive production
markings or artifacts, still displaying most of its original gloss and color. Such a card is centered in a way

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

that is pleasing to the eye but displays light handling overall, usually in the softening of multiple corners
or through some other minor flaw. A small, light gum or wax stain on the reverse is also acceptable for
this grade but not pencil or pen marks. EX is considered "collector grade", as is the equally misunder-
stood and misused VG-EX (which should denote a card that could be VG but does not have significant
creasing and retains most of its eye appeal, including color and some gloss, or could he EX except for one
or two additional problems). Many cards in collector grade or lower are sold in larger lots, or bricks, and
these usually result in a discounted price when compared to the price of the individual cards within.

Typical examples of a front and back from each set are shown; these are not shown at actual size. Please
visit my blog at http://themodernhobbyguide.blogspot.com/ for additional pictures, updates, etc. Hundreds
of additional pictures are available for viewing there.

As always, a card (or wrapper) is worth what you are willing to pay for it, price guide or not. Caveat
emptoti

Q3VO

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Issued As: All American Football

Issue Date: 1955

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane

Base Set Size: 100 Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R415-3
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Mfr: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 110/220

OLL AMERICAN

1 1 ' BENNY FRIEDMAN Quarterback

benjamin

FRIEDMAN

QUARTERBACK-MICHIGAN

Benny was the Ideal player! His
passes wrecked enemy defenses
and his open field runs electri-
fied the crowds. Passing himself
to glory in his sophomore year/
he helped Michigan roll up 89 «^ AT HAPPEN? wWEN A
points against Navy and Minne- ^plaver. jnterferes
sota. As a pro, he had no equal WhF THE fttSS RECEIVER 7
and mcide Alt Pro 5 straight UMOp JSJfj E sjs3 iu»4} 3t|l jwe

years. «t.C.B. printed in U.S.A. SS«u (1313^11103 B pSjflJ S,J|

AL LAMER I CAN

With Bowman controlling the NFL contracts and Topps desperately wanting to finish off their rivals from
Philadelphia, the Shorins turned to college football for the third time in seven years and issued a truly
classic set. With striking, full color graphics overlaying a central black and white action photo, no doubt
mimicking a television broadcast, All American Football delivered the coup de grace to Bowman in grand
style. Colleges were identified on the obverse but Topps created their own logos for each; one player, Don
Whitmire, is shown with two colleges (Alabama & Navy) but displays the Navy logo. The reverses are
primarily two shades of blue, with a football graphic containing the card number, a cartoon and the set
name in large letters displayed along the bottom edge.

Issued as a single series of 100 mostly horizontal cards, All American Football saw nine cards stuffed into
five cent packs and up to a whopping 22 in Trading Card Guild ten cent cello's. The strategy worked as
Bowman's NFL cards, issued in two series, saw a significant drop off in sales when their final series was
released. 1955 Football was the last set Bowman ever issued.

The cello packs came in the standard red and black Trading Card Guild boxes with a colorful and enticing
die cut topper that could be propped up inside the box at the point of sale. There were no graphics
displayed on the cello packs and they contained no gum. An old L.A. toy wholesaler's hoard of unopened
cello packs turned up in 2008 and introduced a substantial amount of pack fresh cards into the hobby.

Price Guides indicate a number of cards, as many as 34, were short printed but inspection of an uncut
partial sheet would seem to render this theory obsolete. In reality, twenty cards were probably
overprinted. The biographies on the backs of card nos. 14 (Gaynell Tinsley) and 21 (Whizzer White), next
to each other on the press sheet, were reversed in the first print run and then corrected. Numerous
uncorrected errors can be found as well, testament to just how manic things were at Topps in 1955.

The one and five cent glassine wrappers are scarce, particularly the former, as are unopened packs,
excepting cello, which can be found readily thanks to the Los Angeles find. It is assumed the cards came
in vending boxes as well. All American Football is quite possibly the most popular vintage football set in
the hobby and was also issued in Canada.

(Sources: http://www.footballcardgallery.com/ , Beckett Football Card Price Guide, 25 th Edition 2008-09,
Author's research)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

school

HERMAN HICKMAN

TENNESSEE

JOHN KIMBROUGH

TEXAS A&M

ED WEIR

NEBRASKA

ERNY PINCKERT

SOCAL

BOB GRAYSON

STANFORD

NILE5KINNICK

IOWA

ANDY BERSHAK

N. CAROLINA

GEORGE CAFEGO

TENNESSEE

TOM HAMILTON

NAVY

BILL DUDLEY

VIRGINIA

BOBBY DODD

TENNESSEE

OTTO GRAHAM

NORTHWESTERN

AARON ROSENBERG

SOCAL

GAYNELLTINSLEY

LOUISIANA STATE

EDDIE KAW

CORNELL

KNUTE ROCKNE

NOTRE DAME

BOB REYNOLDS

NEBRASKA

"PUDGE" HEFFELFINGER

YALE

BRUCE SMITH

MINNESOTA

SAMMY BAUGH

TEXAS CHRISTIAN

"WHIZZER" WHITE

COLORADO

"BRICK" MULLER

U OF CAL

DICK KAZMAIER

PRINCETON

KEN STRONG

N.Y.U.

CAS MYSLINSKI

ARMY

LARRY KELLEY

YALE

RED GRANGE

ILLINOIS

MELHEIN

WASH STATE

LEO NOMELLINI

MINNESOTA

WES FE5LER

OHIO STATE

GEORGE SAUER

NEBRASKA

HANK FOLDBERG

ARMY

BOBHIGGINS

PENN STATE

DAVEY O'BRIEN

TEXAS CHRISTIAN

TOM HARMON

MICHIGAN

TURK EDWARDS

WASH STATE

JIM THORPE

CARLISLE

AMOSALONZOSTAGG

YALE

"BRUD" HOLLAND

CORNELL

DONN MOOMAW

U.C.L.A.

JOE ALEXANDER

SYRACUSE

EDDIE TYRON

COLGATE

GEORGE SAVITSKY

U. OF PENN

EDGARBISCH

ARMY

ELMER OLIPHANT

ARMY

ARNIE LASS MAN

N.Y.U.

"bo" McMillan

CENTRE

EDWIDSETH

MINNESOTA

DON ZIMMERMAN

TULANE

KENKAVANAUGH

LOUISIANA STATE

n»

□

TINSLEY BIO

□'

TINSLEY BIO

□*

DUANE PURVIS
JOHNNY LUJACK

PURDUE
NOTRE DAME

JACK GREEN

EDDIE DOOLEY
FRANK MERRITT

DARTMOUTH
ARMY

ERNIE NEVERS

ED FRANCO

"DOC" BLANCHARD

CHARLEY BRICKLEY

HARRY NEWMAN

CHARLIE JUSTICE

N. CAROLINA

BENNY FRIEDMAN
JOE DONCHESS

MICHIGAN
PITTSBURGH

"BRUISER" KINARD

FRAN KIE ALBERT
THE FOUR HORSEMEN

STANFORD
NOTRE DAME

FRANK SINKWICH

BILLDADDIO
BOB WILSON

PITTSBURGH

SOUTHERN METHODIST

"CHUB" PEABODY

PAULGOVERNALI
GENEMcEVER

COLUMBIA
TENNESSEE

HUGHGALLARNEAU

ANGELOBERTELLI
BOWDEN WYATT

NOTRE DAME
TENNESSEE

JAYBERWANGER

"PUG" LUND

BENNIEOOSTERBAAN

MINNESOTA
MICHIGAN

"COTTON" WARBURTON

ALEXWOJCIECHOWICZ
TED COY

FORDHAM
YALE

"ACE" PARKER

SID LUCKMAN
ALBIE BOOTH

COLUMBIA
YALE

"GERMANY" SCHULZ

RALPH KERCHEVAL
MARSHALL GOLDBERG

KENTUCKY
PITTSBURGH

CHARLEY O'ROURKE

BOB ODELL
"BIGGIE" MUNN

WILLIE HESTON

"CHUCK" BERNARD
CHRIS CAGLE

BILLHOLLENBACK

DON HUTSON
BEATTIE FEATHERS

DONWHITMIRE

"FATS" HENRY

BOSTON COLLEGE

U. OF PENN
MINNESOTA

MICHIGAN
ARMY

ALABAMA
TENNESSEE

ALABAMA & NAVY

WASH. & JEFFERSON

HERMAN HICKMAN

NILES KINNICK

TOM HAMILTON

BILL DUDLEY

OTTO GRAHAM

GAYNELL TINSLEY (WHITE BIO)

125

GAYNELL TINSLEY (CORRECT BIO]

KNUTE ROCKNE

"PUDGE" HEFFELFINGER

BRUCE SMITH

SAMMY BAUGH

"WHIZZER" WHITE (TINSLEY BIO)

100

"WHIZZER" WHITE (CORRECT BIO)

DICK KAZMAIER

KEN STRONG

LARRY KELLEY

RED GRANGE

MELHEIN

LEO NOMELLINI

GEORGE SAUER

DAVEY O'BRIEN

TOM HARMON

TURK EDWARDS

JIM THORPE

125

AMOS ALONZO 5TAGG

"BRUD" HOLLAND

EDDIE TYRON

"bo" McMillan

KEN KAVANAUGH

JOHNNY LUJACK

ERNIE NEVERS

"DOC" BLANCHARD

CHARLIE JUSTICE

BENNY FRIEDMAN

"BRUISER" KINARD

THE FOUR HORSEMEN

100

FRANK SINKWICH

PAUL GOVERNALI

ANGELO BERTELLI

JAY BERWANGER

ALEX WOJCIECHOWICZ

"ACE" PARKER

SID LUCKMAN

MARSHALL GOLDBERG

DON HUTSON

BEATTIE FEATHERS

100

"FATS" HENRY

SUPER COMMON (SC)

COMMON

SET

1250

ONE CENT WRAPPER

300

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

250

TEN CENT WRAPPER

NOT IDENTIFIABLE

ONE CENT PACK

750

FIVE CENT PACK

1000

TEN CENT PACK

5000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPECULATIVE

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPECULATIVE

TEN CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPECULATIVE

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

DON HUTSON

ALABAMA

DON WHITMIRE

ALABAMA (SHOWS NAVY)

CAS MVSLINSKI

ARMY

HANK FOLDBERG

ARMY

ED GARBISCH

ARMY

ELMER OLIPHANT

ARMY

JACK GREEN

ARMY

FRANK MERRITT

ARMY

"DOC" BLANCHARD

ARMY

CHRIS CAGLE

ARMY

CHARLEY O'ROURKE

BOSTON COLLEGE

JIM THORPE

CARLISLE

"BO" MCMILLAN

CENTRE

JAY BERWANGER

CHICAGO

EDDIE TYRON

COLGATE

"WHIZZER" WHITE

COLORADO

PAUL GOVERNALI

COLUMBIA

SID LUCKMAN

COLUMBIA

EDDIE KAW

CORNELL

"BRUD" HOLLAND

CORNELL

EDDIE DOOLEY

DARTMOUTH

"TIGER" HILL

DUKE

"ACE" PARKER

DUKE

ED FRANCO

FORDHAM

ALEX WOJCIECHOWICZ

FORDHAM

FRANK SINKWICH

GEORGIA

CHARLEY BRICKLEY

HARVARD

"CHUB" PEABODY

HARVARD

RED GRANGE

ILLINOIS

NILES KINNICK

IOWA

RALPH KERCHEVAL

KENTUCKY

GAYNELLTINSLEY

LOUISIANA STATE

KEN KAVANAUGH

LOUISIANA STATE

TOM HARMON

MICHIGAN

HARRY NEWMAN

MICHIGAN

BENNY FRIEDMAN

MICHIGAN

BENNIE OOSTERBAAN

MICHIGAN

"GERMANY" SCHULZ

MICHIGAN

WILLIE HESTON

MICHIGAN

"CHUCK" BERNARD

MICHIGAN

BRUCE SMITH

MINNESOTA

LEONOMELLINI

MINNESOTA

EDWIDSETH

MINNESOTA

"PUG" LUND

MINNESOTA

"BIGGIE" MUNN

MINNESOTA

ANDY BERSHAK

N. CAROLINA

CHARLIE JUSTICE

N. CAROLINA

KEN STRONG

N.Y.U.

ARNIE LASSMAN

N.Y.U.

TOM HAMILTON

NAVY

DON WHITMIRE

(ALABAMA &) NAVY

ED WEIR

NEBRASKA

BOB REYNOLDS

NEBRASKA

GEORGE SAUER

NEBRASKA

OTTO GRAHAM

NORTHWESTERN

KNUTE ROCKNE

NOTRE DAME

JOHNNY LUJACK

NOTRE DAME

THE FOUR HORSEMEN

NOTRE DAME

ANGELO BERTELLI

NOTRE DAME

WES FESLER

OHIO STATE

"BRUISER" KINARD

OLE MISS

BOB HIGGINS

PENN STATE

JOE DONCHESS

PITTSBURGH

BILL DADDIO

PITTSBURGH

MARSHALL GOLDBERG

PITTSBURGH

DICK KAZMAIER

PRINCETON

DUANE PURVIS

PURDUE

ERNYPINCKERT

SOCAL

AARON ROSENBERG

SOCAL

"COTTON" WARBURTON

SOCAL

BOB WILSON

SOUTHERN METHODIST

BOB GRAYSON

STANFORD

ERNIE NEVERS

STANFORD

FRANKIE ALBERT

STANFORD

HUGH GALLARNEAU

STANFORD

JOE ALEXANDER

SYRACUSE

VIC HANSON

SYRACUSE

HERMAN HICKMAN

TENNESSEE

GEORGE CAFEGO

TENNESSEE

BOBBY DODD

TENNESSEE

GENE McEVER

TENNESSEE

BOWDEN WYATT

TENNESSEE

BEATTIE FEATHERS

TENNESSEE

JOHN KIMBROUGH

TEXAS A&M

SAMMY BAUGH

TEXAS CHRISTIAN

DAVEY O'BRIEN

TEXAS CHRISTIAN

DON ZIMMERMAN

TULANE

"BRICK" MULLER

U OF CAL

GEORGE SAVITSKY

U. OF PENN

BOB ODELL

U. OF PENN

BILL HOLLENBACK

U. OF PENN

DONN MOOMAW

U.C.L.A.

BILL DUDLEY

VIRGINIA

MELHEIN

WASH STATE

TURK EDWARDS

WASH STATE

100

"FATS" HENRY

WASH. & JEFFERSON

"PUDGE" HEFFELFINGER

YALE

LARRY KELLEY

YALE

AMOS ALONZO STAGG

YALE

TED COY

YALE

ALBIE BOOTH

YALE

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Issued As: Zoo Picture Card Gum ACC #: R714-1

Issue Date: 1951 Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent TCG cellophane (2 card panels) Mfr: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Base Set Size: 100 Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

(E$l

LION

"KING OF THE JUNGLE"

The "King of Beasts" lives in every part
of Africa . . . and gome have even gone
as far east as India. The Lion, generally
stays near open country, where it has a
better ehance to catch zebras and ante-
lopes . . . hunting mostly at night time.
This Series is numbered from 101-200

Rnimnis Of The World

§ t. c. G. PRINTED LN U.S.A.

Intended as an extension of the Frank Buck Bring 'Em Back Alive set issued in 1950, Animals of the World
has been fooling people since 1951. In the wake of a public relations dustup over Freedom's War, Topps
scrapped that set and quickly promised another series of Frank Buck cards. What resulted though, was
not at all what had been promised. As the backs indicate, the 100 card set picked up the numbering at
#101, which would neatly fit atop the first 100 cards of a two series set. But rather than featuring the
action packed scenes that Frank Buck and Topps were famous for, Animals of the World featured sedate,
albeit well-executed illustrations of wild animals shown against a rectangle of nuanced color that
dominated most of the obverse. An unobtrusive caption appears below each illustration.

The artwork for the set came from the talented hand of Mary Lee Baker and was taken from a popular
1948 book featuring her illustrations called Wild Animals of the World. The reasons for this subterfuge are
unknown but Topps probably could not license a second series of cards from the Buck estate and having
promised a second series, simply improvised. The Topps Guernsey's auction of 1989, which featured
thousands of pieces of production artwork, had eleven paintings of cards purported to belong to Animals
of the World. Close examination of these paintings show they are somewhat more in line with the Bring
'Em Back Alive cards and do not resemble the issued Animals of the World subjects at all.

The American Card Catalog has assigned the set a -1 suffix, whereas Bring 'Em Back Alive is designated
R714-2, a reversal that helps tie the two sets together in oddly backwards fashion. The 1953 version of
the ACC, using a different scheme than the one commonly referred to today, assigned Bring 'Em Back
Alive a catalog number of R527 and Animals of the World was designated as R529, following the proper
progression.

The cards were issued as singles and 2 card panels, most of which have been separated by now and the
latter will show remnants of the connecting tabs. The cards can be found with tan or gray backs although
neither carries any premium. Some Price Guides suggest only the gray backs can be found in panelized
form but the evidence contradicts this.

A major find of penny packs in the early 1990's is still saturating the market with wrappers and stained
cards but the five cent pack and wrapper is considered scarce, as are any of the various elongated packs
that held panelized Topps cards issued in 1950-51. Animals of the World 'is not very popular with collectors
and is one of the lowest priced Topps sets of its time.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Jeff Shepherd,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ANIMALS OF THE WORLD CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

101

RED SQUIRREL

102

ALASKA BROWN BEAR

103

DUGONG

104

BLACKBUCK

105

KOALA

106

PANGOLIN

107

SIBERIAN IBEX

108

BROCKET

109

TAMANDUA

110

CAPE HUNTING DOG

111

GAYAL

112

CRESTED PORCUPINE

113

CHINCHILLA

114

HYRAX

115

MEERKAT

lie

BARBARY APE

117

WOLVERINE

118

ADDAX

119

DINGO

120

CHEVROTAIN

121

HOG DEER

122

COMMON DUIKER

123

MUSKRAT

124

LESSER PANDA

125

GUANACO

126

BLESBOK

127

SAPAJOU

128

ACUDAD

129

ARABIAN CAMEL

130

WHITE-TAILED DEER

131

REINDEER

132

SOLENODON

133

AXIS DEER

134

TENREC

135

GIRAFFE

136

TAPIR

137

MANGABEY

138

LEMMING

139

POTTO

140

BANDICOOT

141

AGOUTI

142

OKAPI

143

COTTONTAIL RABBIT

144

CALIFORNIA SEALION

145

HAMADRYAS BABOON

146

ONAGER

147

CANADA LYNX

148

CUSCUS

149

VICUNA

150

KIANG

TAN BACK GRAY BACK

NUMBER

NAME

151

SPIDER MONKEY

152

COATI-MUNDI

153

LEMUR

154

COUGAR

155

BANTING

156

CACOMISTLE

157

BONGO

158

ELEPHANT SEAL

159

JAGUAR

160

LION

161

MOOSE

162

POLAR BEAR

163

CARIBOU

164

NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO

165

MONGOOSE

166

PIG-TAILED MACAQUE

167

MOUFLON

168

UAKARI

169

SNOW LEOPARD

170

AFRICAN ELEPHANT

171

HARTEBEEST

172

BEAVER

173

FOSSA

174

PIGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS

175

SHREW

176

GORILLA

177

SLOTH

178

VAMPIRE BAT

179

YAPOK

180

JAGUARUNDI

181

GEMSBOK

182

MALAYAN TREE SHREW

183

KOUPREY

184

WHALE

185

RED FOX

186

ZEBRA

187

WAPITI

188

QUAGGA

189

WALRUS

190

MARTEN

191

AYE-AYE

192

FLYING PHALANGER

193

HOWLER MONKEY

194

ORANG-UTAN

195

FISHER

196

AFRICAN BLACK RHINOCEROUS

197

GIANT ANTEATER

198

CHEETAH

199

THYLACINE

200

NILGHAI

TAN BACK GRAY BACK

101

RED SQUIRREL

200

NILGHAI

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

SET (SINGLES)

200

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

200

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

300

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL CANDY

Issued As: Baseball Candy, Doubles; a.k.a. Red Backs, Blue Backs, Connie Mack's All Time All Star Team
(or Connie Mack All Stars), Major League All Stars (or Current All Stars), Teams (or Team Pictures)

Subset ACC #: Size Base Set Size

Connie Mack All Stars R414-2 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm 11

Major League All Stars R414-3 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm 8 (+3 unissued)

Teams R414-4 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm 9

Red Backs R414-5a 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm 52

Blue Backs R414-5b 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm 52

Issue Date: 1951, Red Backs & Blue Backs Reissued as Doubles in 1952 Mfr: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Packaging: 1 cent Baseball Candy (Blue Backs), 1 cent Doubles (Red Backs and Blue Backs), 5 cent (Red
Backs and Blue Backs, in panel form), 10 cent TCG cellophane (2 card panels of Red Backs or Blue
Backs), 29 cent bag (with full Red Backset on panels and extra All Star and Team Cards)

Base Set Size: 132 (+3 Unissued) Sheet Sizes: Unknown

The first shot taken by Topps at Bowman's baseball card franchise was fired not in 1952 but rather a year
earlier. Baseball Candy encompasses no less than five separate yet interlocking issues, some of which
underwent at least two, if not three, print runs. Presumably using the pictures licensed from Russell
Publishing in 1950, the two most popular Baseball Candy sets are the twin decks of 52 cards known as
Red Backs and Blue Backs, which were designed as a card game. The two All Star sets had figures that
were designed to be punched out and "stand up" if one followed the instructions on their reverses. Topps
seemingly envisioned the stand-ups being used as base runners on a play diamond while the card game
was being contested; the team cards would seem superfluous in this arrangement but could have acted a
stiff eners for the die cut All Stars and panels of Red & Blue Back cards in the five cent packs.

Red Backs appeared first and debuted in the nickel Baseball Candy packs, with four two card panels and
an undated version of a single Team or Connie Mack All Stars card sold along with a long piece of
caramel, scored into five pieces, enclosed in its own glassine interior wrapper. Early Topps advertising
for the first run of Baseball Candy packs indicates a Connie Mack All Star card was to be included and
makes no mention of a one cent configuration. Intriguingly, the graphics for the Connie Mack All Star card
in the ad depict Christy Mathewson with rounded corners, just like the Red Backs, although they were not
issued this way. There is evidence the All Stars and the undated version of the Teams were printed on the
same sheet so it may have just been luck of the draw as to which type of card came in each pack.

Blue Backs then followed, with a single card and solitary piece of caramel wrapped in cellophane residing
within a penny pack. The cello had instructions printed in red detailing how the baseball game should be
played. Shortly thereafter another run of Red Backs was produced. At this point it appears the Blue Backs
also became available in the nickel packs, with a Major League All Star or dated Team card tucked in with
them. Sales would seem to have been robust but the Blue Backs only had a single print run and the Major
League All Star oar As appearing with them are among the scarcest regularly issued Topps cards. It is

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

possible an injunction filed by Bowman halted sales at this point but there is no evidence of an associated
suit. Given Topps' history, a cease-and-desist letter would probably not have worked.

The 104 players depicted by Topps in the Red and Blue Backsets were thought by them to be "safe",
meaning Bowman did not have an exclusive contract with those players for the 1951 season or if one
existed, the wording was such that a player's image could be sold along with candy (just not gum). A look
at the possible culprits for the curtailment of Baseball Candy leads to the Major League All Stars. Three of
these, Konstanty, Roberts and Stanky, were not issued with the other 8 cards in the set and are legendary
rarities; all had a corresponding Bowman card for 1951. Stanky was a Red Back subject while the other
two were not. Of the remaining players all but Berra, Dropo and Kiner had both 1951 Bowman and MLAS
cards, while Berra, Kiner and Rizzuto also appeared on the Red Backs. Rizzuto is the only one to appear in
all three of the "current" 1951 sets (and in fact was a Bowman subject every year from 1948-55).

That means Stanky may not have been "safe", nor were Konstanty and Roberts and it is unclear why they
were contemplated as All Stars. The Blue Back version of Baseball Candy probably was not pulled from
the shelves; it seems more likely a second print run was merely scrapped. Eight panels of two Red Backs
or Blue Backs would also be inserted in Trading Card Guild red cello packs (which contained no candy or
gum) but it is unclear if all printings were sold this way. A full set of Red backs was also sold (as panels)
in bagged form that also included some indeterminate All Star and Team cards; whether this was a Topps
product or the work of a third party has never been established but it is clearly not branded Topps
packaging. Red anA Blue Backs were also repackaged in 1952 as Doubles, which were penny packs
containing two cards but with no candy or gum. The market must have been choked with Red Backs at
this point; the Blue Backs sold as Doubles were likely returns from the jobbers repackaged by Topps but
huge amounts of Red Back Doubles appear to have never left the jobber's warehouses.

More information on each component of Baseball Candy can be found under each set's "real" name.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Ken Meyer, Author's Research)

■

A rainbow of monotones: Red Back panel with backs from dated Team card and Connie Mack AH Star reverse. The white obverse on the Red
Back panel on brilliant white stock (reverses on this stock are similarly bright as are all Blue Backs and Major League AH Stars, front and
back). The Red Back and Team reverses show cream stock, while the Connie Mack AH Star shows tan or even gray stock in the corners,

which were in photo corners for decades. Note the red print on the reverses, which ties all three of these Basebali Candy subsets together.
The Red Back panel also exhibits a typical "V" cut, possibly from folding over during cutting. (Author's Collection)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RED BACKS (1951)

Issued As: Baseball Candy, Doubles
Issue Date: 1951, Reissued 1952

ACC #: R414-5a
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm

Packaging: 5 cent (in panel form), 10 cent TCG cellophane (2 card panels) 29 cent bag (with full Red Back
set on panels and extra All Star and Team Cards), reissued in 1952 as 1 cent Doubles

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. (1951), T.C.G. (1952)
Base Set Size: 52 Number of Series: 1

Sheet Size: Unknown

IEIMISKI

long -bo!
Hug leFlv. G.n«

plnyina The oulfiold * / t a'

for 1he Brooklyn Dnd- \/v
!, finished Ihe I950

111. o 29G p. *. I

The most well known of the five Baseball Candy issues, Red Backs were far and away the best selling
subset. Comprised of 52 players on small, thick cardboard with rounded corners and glossy fronts, the
cards are named after their bright red backs and resemble playing cards. With black and white head
shots, presumably taken from the Russell Publishing photo archive, accented with spot color, Topps made
the most of limited resources in their first dedicated baseball sets and marketed the cards with an over-
arching game theme. Described on their face as part of "A" series, Topps literally meant it that way as
the Red Backs were to be sold in conjunction with a "B" series (Blue Backs) to allow two youngsters to
play a card based game of baseball.

Red Backs were originally sold in nickel Baseball Candy packs, with four two card panels and an undated,
single Teams or Connie Mack All Stars card together with a long piece of caramel, which was scored into
five pieces and enclosed in its own glassine interior wrapper. Early Topps advertising for the first run of
Baseball Candy packs indicates a Connie Mack All Star card was to be included (presumably meaning the
team cards were a later add on) and makes no mention of a one cent configuration. Intriguingly, the
graphics for the Connie Mack All Star car A in the ad depict Christy Mathewson with rounded corners, just
like the Red Backs, although they were not issued this way.

The first run of Red Backs was meant to be sold solely as panels, which was Topps preferred method of
sale in those days for the smaller sized cards. The caramel was meant to skirt Bowman's contracts,
which at the time only exclusively bound players for gum sales. These first run cards were printed on a
cream stock which tends to fade a bit to a dingy tan over time on the backs of the cards, which are plain,
uncoated cardboard. Some cards look like the sheets were fed the wrong way into the presses and

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

exhibit plain fronts and glossy reverses. All Red Backs will have four nubs either on the top or bottom of
the card and some exhibit a v-shaped feature (which can be either concave or convex) on one opposite
non-nubbed edge due to the mechanical process used to cut the cards for insertion into packs. The depth
of the v-shape is more pronounced on some cards than others and is not always evident.

It can be determined that the cream backs came first thanks to a couple of variations in the set. The first
involves Boston Braves fan favorite Tommy Holmes, who was named manager of the Class A Hartford
Chiefs on March 20, 1951 after their previous manager, Rip Collins, left to pursue a broadcasting
opportunity. Holmes was only 33 and still wielded a potent bat so he may have taken the minor league
position with a promise he would get the big league job if the season started falling apart in Boston. The
Holmes variations reflect such maneuverings as he is first listed on a cream backed card as member of
the Braves. A second run of the card on brilliant white stock has text that states "Now managing
Hartford" but depicts Holmes in his Boston cap, which could reflect his return to Boston on June 19 th ' as
the "B" on his cap was not airbrushed out. In other words, Topps updated the text but could not easily
delete the Boston emblem on his cap. This also ties in with the other player in the set with a variation-Gus
Zernial.

On April 30, 1951 Zernial was shipped by the Chicago White Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics in a three
way deal involving the Cleveland Indians and Minnie Minoso. His Chicago card is on cream stock but his
updated one has him with Philadelphia in the text with the White Sox emblem on his cap airbrushed out,
leaving it blank but on brilliant white stock.

The brilliant white stock would also be used on the Blue Backs, which will be discussed separately but
appear to have been printed in late June. This ties the second printing of Red Backs to the sole printing
of Blue Backs and possibly to the Holmes promotion on June 19 th . There is no differential in price
between cream and white backed cards.

The second run was also intended to be sold in panelized form and does not appear to have been retailed
in one cent Baseball Candy packs. The panels are in a set pattern, with no duplication, indicating there
were perhaps no short prints in the set, although they differ slightly from the Blue Backs panel pairings.

Topps alleges they ran into trouble with both the Red Backs and the Blue Backs. Their corporate line is
that the "varnish" (per Sy Berger) or gloss on the cards reacted badly with the caramel, making some kids
sick and resulting in Baseball Candy products being pulled from the shelves and a lawsuit being filed
against the printer. This is clearly wrong as inner wraps for the caramel are known in one and five cent
packaging. The real story probably involves the threat of a Bowman lawsuit or injunction but either way
the cards had to be withdrawn from sale. This left Topps with returns from their jobbers not only of Red
Backs but the other four Baseball Candy subsets.

Some panels found their way into bagged sets that sold for 29 cents but bear no Topps markings or
included any candy or gum. Team cards and at least one of the All Star Stand up cards were also included
in these backs but not as full sets; an instruction sheet was inserted in the bag as well. It is not clear if
the lack of Topps identification was intentional or if a third party sold these. The paper playing field sold
with this set did replicate one previously used by Ed-U-Cards for their 1949 "Batter Up" deck.

In 1952, two Red Back cards (and sometimes Blue Backs) were sold without any caramel or gum in penny
packs as Doubles. The box art for Doubles encouraged kids to "collect the deck-winner deals" but does
not indicate the cards were repackaged. Where these penny packs were to be sold beyond New York and
Philadelphia is a mystery, as is the timing of the Doubles release as Topps was trying to break through
with their regular 1952 baseball cards. Bazooka comic premiums also had offers for Red Backs.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

A large find of Doubles packs, mostly containing Red Backs occurred in the late 1980's, flooding the
market. As a result, sealed Doubles wrappers and Red Backs are quite easy to find today. The Baseball
Candy five cent wrapper is quite scarce. Panels, without gum, were also sold in generic red Trading Card
Guild wrappers.

The various results over the entire deck of 52 cards are as follows:

Hit By Pitcher 1
Home Run 1
Out 2
Single 3
Stolen Base 2
Strike 12
Triple 2

The results differ a little bit from the Blue Backs results. Panel combinations are as follows:

Balk 1

Ball 18

Bunt 1

Bunt Sacrifice 1

Double 2

Fly Out 2

Foul Ball 3

Foul Out 1

The results differ a

1-26

15-35

2-25

19-50

3-21

20-40

4-43

22-52

5-16

23-44

6-31

27-34

7-12

28-48

8-47

29-39

9-41

30-46

10-32

33-51

11-24

36-42

13-17

37-49

14-18

38-45

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Sports Collectors Digest,
http://www.psacard.com . Author's Research)

BASEBALL

DOUBLES^! >0UBLES

PLAYING CARDS

E VERY PAC K

TasebalT

doubles:

PIAYIMC CARDS.

IN EVERY »»CI

■ w

DOUBLE!

M in ivtiY t M

1952 Doubles packs contained two Red Backs (sometimes 2 Blue Backs) and no caramel (Author's Collection)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RED BACKS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

RESULT

LARRY (YOGI) BERRA

YANKEES

FOUL BALL

SID GORDON

BRAVES

STOLEN BASE

FERRIS FAIN

ATHLETICS

FOUL BALL

VERNE STEPHENS

RED SOX

STOLEN BASE

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

DOUBLE

ALLIE REYNOLDS

YANKEES

BALL

HOWIE POLLET

CARDINALS

BALL

EARLY WYNN

INDIANS

BALL

ROYSIEVERS

BROWNS

STRIKE

MELPARNELL

RED SOX

FOUL OUT

GENE HERMANSKI

DODGERS

BALL

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

BALL

DALE MITCHELL

INDIANS

BALL

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

CUBS

BALL

RALPH KINER

PIRATES

BALL

PREACHER ROE

DODGERS

BALL

DAVE BELL

PIRATES

BALL

GERRY COLEMAN

YANKEES

BALL

DICK KOKOS

BROWNS

STRIKE

DOMINICK DiMAGGIO

RED SOX

BALL

LARRY JANSEN

GIANTS

BALL

BOB FELLER

INDIANS

STRIKE

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

STRIKE

HANK BAUER

YANKEES

STRIKE

CLIFF CHAMBERS

PIRATES

STRIKE

LUKE EASTER

INDIANS

STRIKE

CREAM

WHITE

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

RESULT

WALLY WESTLAKE

PIRATES

BALL

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

STRIKE

BOB KENNEDY

INDIANS

BALL

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

BALL

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

STRIKE

HENRY THOMPSON

GIANTS

STRIKE

WILLIAM WERLE

PIRATES

STRIKE

GRADY HATTON

REDS

BALL

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

STRIKE

GUS ZERNIAL

SEE RIGHT

FLY OUT

WES WESTRUM

GIANTS

TRIPLE

ED (DUKE) SNIDER

DODGERS

SINGLE

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDS

SINGLE

MIKE GARCIA

INDIANS

SINGLE

WHITEYLOCKMAN

GIANTS

BALL

RAYSCARBOROUGH

RED SOX

TRIPLE

MAURICE McDERMOTT

RED SOX

BALK

SID HUDSON

SENATORS

HIT BY PITCHER

ANDYSEMINICK

PHILLIES

OUT

BILLY GOODMAN

RED SOX

BUNT SACRIFICE

TOMMY GLAVIANO

CARDINALS

OUT

EDDIE STANKY

GIANTS

BUNT

AL ZARILLA

WHITE SOX

HOME RUN

MONTE IRVIN

GIANTS

DOUBLE

EDDIE ROBINSON

WHITE SOX

FOUL BALL

TOMMY HOLMES

SEE RIGHT

FLY OUT

CREAM

WHITE

WHITE SOX

ATHLETICS

BRAVES

HARTFORD

LARRY (YOGI) BERRA

PHIL RIZZUTO

BOB FELLER

WARREN SPAHN

GUS ZERNIAL CHICAGO

GUS ZERNIAL PHILADELPHIA

ED (DUKE) SNIDER

TOMMY HOLMES {BOSTON)

TOMMY HOLMES (HARTFORD)

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

BOTH 1 35%

SUPER COMMON

SUPER COMMON PANEL

BOTH + 50%

SEMI STAR

SEMI STAR PANEL

BOTH 1 50%

HOF PANELS

BOTH 1 200%

BASE SET (SINGLES)

500

BASE SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

SET (29 CENT BAG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER (DOUBLES)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

SPEC.

TEN CENT WRAPPER (TCG)

ONE CENT PACK (DOUBLES)

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (DOUBLES-EMPTY)

150

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

WASHINGTON SENATORS

i L

back row (left k, right)] "Doc" Loni.

Peorce, Hudson, Do;
MIDDLE ROW (left lr> righl): Coon, No
Sfewai

FRONT ROW (left lo rightjr tat Boy C

Harris,

Hoynfli, Fitzgerald, Kozar, Mole, Valine/, Weik,
Dkric, Hi tile, Scarborough, Hobinnon
hi. G rosso, Milan. Manager Harris, Myall, Aflrttk,

Robertson, Ortu

Ben. Nogy. Welle-rolh, Marrerc

ante, Evans, Davis

Vast, Genovese,

yv_

1951 Red Backs with Team Card misprint reverses (author's collection)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BLUE BACKS (1951)

Issued As: Baseball Candy, Doubles
Issue Date: 1951, Reissued 1952

ACC #: R414-5b
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm

Packaging: 1 cent Baseball Candy, 5 cent (in panel form), 10 cent TCG cellophane (2 card panels),
reissued in 1952 as 1 cent Doubles

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. (1951), T.C.G. (1952)
Base Set Size: 52 Number of Series: 1

Sheet Size: Unknown

BRUCE
EDWARDS

Standing S 1 B
„„>l lipping Ik.
rcales al 180, the
Broeitlyn Dodq
thither boil and IH

right-handed

*S_

One of the five Baseball Candy issues, Blue Backs were comprised of 52 players on small, thick cardboard
with rounded corners and glossy fronts. The cards are named after their bright blue backs and resemble
playing cards. With black and white head shots, presumably taken from the Russell Publishing photo
archive, accented with spot color, Topps made the most of their limited resources in their first dedicated
baseball sets and marketed the cards as part of an over-arching game theme. Described on their face as
part of a "B" series, Topps literally meant it that way as the Blue Backs were to be sold in conjunction
with an "A" series (Red Backs) to allow two youngsters to play a card based game of baseball.

Blue Backs were originally sold in penny nickel Baseball Candy packs, with one card and a piece of
caramel in the former and four two card panels and a dated, single Teams or Major League All Stars card
together with a long piece of caramel, which was scored into five pieces and enclosed in its own glassine
interior wrapper in the latter. The panels are in a set pattern, with no duplication, indicating perhaps there
were no short prints in the set. This pattern does not quite match that of the Red Backs though.

The Blue Backs were all printed on brilliant white stock, apparently in a single press run and one that was
seemingly shorter than the Red Backs run on the same stock. They are more difficult to find than the
related Red Backs but the gap has shrunk in recent years, indicating a supply has been found. Blue Backs
were printed sometime after May 14 th as Billy Johnson was traded from the Yankees to the Cardinals on
that date and in the set he is described as a Cardinal (sporting a blank cap). Their printing probably
occurred right around June 15 th , as Andy Pafko is still shown as a Cub, despite a trade to Brooklyn on that
date. The set has no variations.

The Baseball Candy packs with Blue Back cards may only have seen a regional distribution in the
Northeast. Topps though, alleges they ran into trouble with these cards (and the Red Backs) and their

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

corporate line even today is that the "varnish" (per Sy Berger) or gloss on the cards reacted badly with the
caramel, making some kids sick and resulting in Baseball Candy products being pulled from the shelves
and a lawsuit being filed against the printer. This is clearly wrong as inner wraps for the caramel are
known in one and five cent packaging. The real story probably involves the threat of a Bowman lawsuit or
injunction but either way the cards had to be withdrawn from sale. This left Topps with returns from their
jobbers not only of Blue Backs but the other four Baseball Candy subsets.

In 1952, Blue Backs were sold without any caramel or gum in penny packs as Doubles; most of the packs
contained Red Backs but some Blue Backs were also resold in this fashion, two cards to a pack. The box
art for Doubles encouraged kids to "collect the deck-winner deals" but does not indicate the cards were
repackaged. Where these penny packs were to be sold beyond New York and Philadelphia is a mystery,
as is the timing of the Doubles release as Topps was trying to break through with their regular 1952
baseball cards.

A large find of Doubles packs containing Red Backs occurred in the late 1980's and also yielded a much
smaller supply of Blue Backs. The Baseball Candy one cent wrapper is quite scarce, as is the five cent
version. Panels, without gum, were also sold in the generic red Trading Card Guild wrappers.

The various results over the entire deck of 52 cards are as follows:

Balk 1 Hit By Pitcher 1

Ball 16 Home Run 1

Bunt 1 Out 4

Bunt Sacrifice 1 Single 3

Double 1 Stolen Base 2

Fly Out 2 Strike 14

Foul Ball 3 Triple 1
Foul Out 1

The results differ a little bit from the Blue Backs results. Panel combinations are as follows:

1-40

19-34

2-12

20-33

3-11

21-32

4-17

22-44

5-37

23-26

6-35

27-43

7-10

28-46

8-25

30-31

9-13

36-49

14-29

38-47

15-42

39-50

16-41

45-51

18-24

48-52

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Sports Collectors Digest,
http://www.psacard.com . Author's Research)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

t £

i il

f 1 1 *

mfiff^iil \

lo ^1(3 t s?s;= _>/

Blue Backs and Major League All Stars exhibit brilliant white stock on both sides and share the same blue print on the reverse. Neither set

conies on cream or tan stock. (Author's Collection)

BLUE BACKS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

RESULT

EDDIE YOST

NATIONALS

FOUL BALL

HENRY (HANK) MAJESKI

WHITE SOX

STOLEN BASE

RICHIE ASHBURN

PHILLIES

FOUL BALL

DELENNIS

PHILLIES

STOLEN BASE

JOHNNY PESKY

RED SOX

OUT

ALBERT (RED) SCHOENDIENST

CARDINALS

BALL

GERALD STALEY

CARDINALS

BALL

DICK SISLER

PHILLIES

BALL

JOHNNY SAIN

BRAVES

STRIKE

JOE PAGE

YANKEES

FOUL OUT

JOHNNY GROTH

TIGERS

BALL

SAM JETHROE

BRAVES

BALL

JAMES (MICKEY) VERNON

NATIONALS

BALL

GEORGE MUNGER

CARDINALS

STRIKE

EDDIE JOOST

ATHLETICS

STRIKE

MURRY DICKSON

PIRATES

BALL

ROYSMALLEY

CUBS

BALL

NEDGARVER

BROWNS

BALL

PHILMASI

WHITE SOX

STRIKE

RALPH BRANCA

DODGERS

BALL

BILLY JOHNSON

CARDINALS

BALL

BOB KUZAVA

NATIONALS

STRIKE

PAUL (DIZZY) TROUT

TIGERS

STRIKE

SHERMAN LOLLAR

BROWNS

STRIKE

SAM MELE

NATIONALS

STRIKE

CHICO CARRESQUEL

WHITE SOX

STRIKE

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

RESULT

ANDY PAFKO

CUBS

BALL

HARRY (THE CAT) BRECHEEN

CARDINALS

STRIKE

GRANVILLE HAMNER

PHILLIES

BALL

EN OS (COUNTRY) SLAUGHTER

CARDINALS

BALL

LOU BRISSIE

INDIANS

STRIKE

BOB ELLIOT

BRAVES

STRIKE

DON LENHARDT

BROWNS

STRIKE

EARLTORGESON

BRAVES

BALL

TOMMY BYRNE

YANKEES

STRIKE

CLIFF FANNIN

BROWNS

FLY OUT

BOBBY DOERR

RED SOX

OUT

IRVNOREN

NATIONALS

SINGLE

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

SINGLE

VIC WERTZ

TIGERS

SINGLE

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

CUBS

BALL

BRUCE EDWARDS

DODGERS

TRIPLE

WILLIE (PUDDIN' HEAD) JONES

PHILLIES

BALK

JOHNNY WRYOSTEK

REDS

HIT BY PITCHER

BILL PIERCE

WHITE SOX

OUT

GERRY PRIDDY

TIGERS

BUNT SACRIFICE

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

OUT

BILLY COX

DODGERS

BUNT

HENRY (HANK) SAUER

CUBS

HOME RUN

JOHNNY MIZE

YANKEES

DOUBLE

EDDIT WAITKUS

PHILLIES

FOUL BALL

SAM CHAPMAN

INDIANS

FLY OUT

RICHIE ASHBURN

125

ALBERT (RED) SCHOENDIENST

ENOS (COUNTRY) SLAUGHTER

JOHNNY MIZE

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

BOTH + 50%

SUPER COMMON

SUPER COMMON PANEL

BOTH + 100%

SEMI STAR

SEMI STAR PANEL

BOTH + 100%

HOF PANELS

BOTH + 250%

BASE SET (SINGLES)

800

BASE SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

SET (29 CENT BAG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER (DOUBLES)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

SPEC.

TEN CENT WRAPPER (TCG)

ONE CENT PACK (DOUBLES)

125

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (DOUBLES-EMPTY)

150

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

Cello wrapped caramel with instructions, Red & Blue Back references seemingly contradict Sy Berger's "varnish" story (courtesy Ken Meyer)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

CONNIE MACK ALL STARS (1951)

Issued As: Baseball Candy, Connie Mack's All Time All Star Team ACC #: R414-2

Issue Date: 1951, Size: 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm

Packaging: 5 cent Baseball Candy, 29 cent bag (with full Red Back set on panels and extra All Star and
Team Cards)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 11 Number of Series: 1

Sheet Size: Unknown

The Connie Mack All Stars are a die-cut set of eleven players, photographed in black and white and
displayed against a bright red background. A "plaque" underneath the picture gives vital statistics and
includes a facsimile autograph and features yellow highlights. The plaque differs slightly in appearance
from the one used for the companion Major League All Stars. The backs had minimal text in a small, red
font and indicated there were 1 1 cards in the series. The cards were originally intended to have rounded
corners like the Red Backs they were sold in the five cent Baseball Candy packs but were issued with
typical squared off corners. The measurements mean that a vertical panel of two Red Backs is the same
size as one Connie Mack All Star, so designed as to be sold in the nickel Baseball Candy packages.

As the players were meant to be punched out and made into a small stand up, it is likely they were
intended to be used as fielders and base runners when the Red Back game cards were played with. The

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

choice of old time players seems curious but Connie Mack had just stepped down as manager of the
Philadelphia Athletics after fifty years at the helm and had a popular book out called My 66 Years in the
Big Leagues and so was quite a visible figure at the time Baseball Candy was introduced. Mack was
represented in the set and with three pitchers and only two outfielders, it's clear a player was pulled from
the set. The long told story is that this was Ty Cobb, who refused to sign a contract with Topps and that
is probably true.

Connie Mack All Stars can be found with either brilliant white, cream or tan backs. The cream backs were
almost certainly marketed with the similarly cream backed first run of Red Backs while the second run, on
white stock, coincided with the second Red Back printing, also on white stock. Connie Mack All Stars,
while not common, can be found with some regularity today and are much easier to track down than the
sister set of Major League All Stars, which were only sold with the Blue Backs. Team Cards could also be
found in the Baseball Candy nickel packs and there is evidence they were printed on the same sheet as
the Connie Mack All Stars. The third printing is still a bit of a mystery and may have been the result of
some available cardboard stock being used at the end of a print run as Connie Mack All Stars and Teams
all exhibit the same three types of stock.

Many of these cards are found today without the red background, although a fair supply of punched but
otherwise intact cards exists. A small nub can often be observed on the top and bottom edges of intact
cards. Scarcer still are unpunched examples but they can be found with some diligence. Connie Macks
are however, not nearly as abundant as the Red Backs.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Sports Collectors Digest, Author's Research,
scans courtesy of Al Richter)

CONNIE MACK ALL STARS CHECKLIST

NAME

TEAM

GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER

CARDINALS

GORDON STANLEY COCHRANE

ATHLETICS *

EDWARD TROWBRIDGE COLLINS

WHITE SOX

JAMES J. COLLINS

RED SOX*

LOU GEHRIG

YANKEES

WALTER JOHNSON

SENATORS

CONNIE MACK

ATHLETICS

CHRISTOPHER MATHEWSON

GIANTS

GEORGE HERMAN RUTH

YANKEES

TRIS SPEAKER

INDIANS

HONUS WAGNER

PIRATES

WHITE BACK

550

WHITE BACK

425

WHITE BACK

175

WHITE BACK

175

WHITE BACK

1,600

WHITE BACK

550

WHITE BACK

400

WHITE BACK

550

WHITE BACK

2,200

WHITE BACK

425

WHITE BACK

550

CREAM BACK

500

CREAM BACK

375

CREAM BACK

150

CREAM BACK

150

CREAM BACK

1,500

CREAM BACK

500

CREAM BACK

350

CREAM BACK

500

CREAM BACK

2,000

CREAM BACK

375

CREAM BACK

500

TAN BACK

500

TAN BACK

375

TAN BACK

150

TAN BACK

150

TAN BACK

1,500

TAN BACK

500

TAN BACK

350

TAN BACK

500

TAN BACK

2,000

TAN BACK

375

TAN BACK

500

'■ASSUMED

ALL PRICING IS FOR INTACT, UNPUNCHED CARDS. DEDUCT 25% FOR PUNCHED BUT
COMPLETE CARDS AND DEDUCT 50% FOR PUNCHED CARDS WITH NO BACKGROUND.

BASE SET (WHITE, INTACT)

7,500

BASE SET (CREAM OR TAN,INTACT

7,000

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

SPEC.

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL STARS (1951)

Issued As: Baseball Candy, a.k.a. Current All Stars ACC #: R414-3

Issue Date: 1951, Size: 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm

Packaging: 5 cent Baseball Candy (in panel form), unissued cards distributed directly by Topps via mail
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Base Set Size: 8 (+3 Unissued) Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

King of the Boe'fcsiopi. Yogi
B*ffO was. o major factor in
the Yaniteai' 1920 Cham
pionship drive, leading the
club ir RBI-i wllti 174,
boning .322 and
walloping 2&
homers. Catching
in rnor* gome*

than iiny ottier t> c

league receiver,
■he poeed the Al
backilopi wlttl

777 putojts and
J6 DP'i.

Fold en doned lin*i la moke figure itnnd

Coll»ct ihe whole mfM of Major League

All-Sta^

fit in the SftrrtiJ

The Major League AH Stars are a die-cut set of eleven players, three of whom were withdrawn before
insertion into packs, photographed in black and white and displayed against a bright red background. A
"plaque" underneath the picture gives vital statistics and includes a facsimile autograph and features
yellow highlights. The plaque differs slightly in appearance from the one used for the companion Connie
Mack AH Stars. The backs had minimal text in a small, blue font and indicated there were 11 cards in the
series. The measurements mean that a vertical panel of two Blue Backs is the same size as one Major
League AH Star, so designed to be sold in the nickel Baseball Candy packages.

As the players were meant to be punched out and made into a small stand up, it is likely they were
intended to be used as fielders and base runners when the Blue Back game cards were played with. Major
League AH Stars can be found only with brilliant white backs, just like the Blue Backs and both sets only
had a single press run, meaning less were available in 1951 when compared to the Red Backs and Connie

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Mack All Stars. Major League All Stars are truly scarce and intact examples rarely come up for sale.
Dated Team Cards could also be found in the Baseball Candy nickel packs but it does not appear they
were printed on the same sheet as the Major League All Stars.

Most of these cards are found today without the red background and an extremely limited supply of
punched but otherwise intact cards exists as well. Much scarcer still are unpunched examples, which are
quite expensive. Major League All Stars are much more difficult to find than the Blue Backs or even
Connie Mack All Stars and by a considerable margin; the eight cards issued at retail are among the
scarcest Topps cards of the era. The Baseball Candy packs with these cards may only have seen a
regional distribution in the metropolitan Philadelphia and New York areas.

The three undistributed cards featured players who all had ties with Philadelphia, home of Bowman Gum.
Two of the short prints, Robin Roberts and Jim Konstanty, were teammates on the Phillies in 1950-51
while the third, Eddie Stanky, played for the Giants those two years but was bom in Philadelphia.

All three short prints come with white backs and have blue text on the reverse. It might be assumed these
three rare variation cards were not printed with the other eight cards in the set but since all cards in the
set state there are 1 1 in the series, the fully finished, all blue text varieties may have been printed at the
same time as the rest of the set. Woody Gelman's son Richard, who ran Card Collector's Collectors
Company for a time after his father's death, credits Woody with saving all the known examples of the
three short prints. In the early 1950's a handful of collectors intrigued by the fact they could only find 8
and wrote to Topps and request the missing ones. Such requests were certainly filled by the Trading Card
Guild, which may have been their only method of distribution. Today these cards each command in the
mid-five figures.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Sports Collectors Digest, Author's Research,
scans courtesy of Al Richter)

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL STARS CHECKLIST

NAME TEAM PRICE (INTACT)

LAWRENCE (YOGI) BERRA

YANKEES

4,000

LAWRENCE EUGENE DOBY

INDIANS

1,500

WALTER DROPO

RED SOX

1,000

WALTER (HOOT) EVERS

TIGERS

1,000

GEORGLE CLYDE KELL

TIGERS

1,500

RALPH McPHERRAN KINER

PIRATES

2,000

ROBERT C. LEMON

INDIANS

1,000

PHILIP RIZZUTO

YANKEES

2,000

UNISSUED CARDS:

JAMES CASIMIR KONSTANTY

PHILLIES

SPEC.

ROBIN EVAN ROBERTS

PHILLIES

SPEC.

EDWARD RAYMOND STANKY

GIANTS

SPEC.

BASE SET (8 - INTACT)

14,000

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

SPEC.

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

ALL PRICING IS FOR INTACT, UNPUNCHED CARDS. DEDUCT 25% FOR PUNCHED BUT
COMPLETE CARDS AND DEDUCT 50% FOR PUNCHED CARDS WITH NO BACKGROUND.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TEAMS (1951)

Issued As: Baseball Candy, a.k.a. Team Cards
Issue Date: 1951

ACC #: R414-4
Size: 2 1/16" x 5 1/4", 52 x 133 mm

Packaging: 5 cent Baseball Candy, 29 cent bag (with full Red Back set on panels and extra All Star and
Team Cards)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 9 Number of Series: 2

Sheet Size: Unknown

NEW YORK GIANTS

FRONT ROW Ilefl lo righrl: Aivin Dark, "Whitoy" Lockman, Bill Rigncy, Monre Kennedy,
Fred Fir2simmoni, Manager Leo Durocher, Coach Herman Franks, Coach Frank Shellenbock
SECOND ROW; Jack Lohrke, Larry Jansen, Cllnl Hartung, Monre Irvin, Sal Maglie, Jim Hearn,

Bah Thomson, "Tookie" Gilbert, Jack Kramer.

THIRD ROW: Ray Weatherly, Rudy Ryfr?r, Eddie Stanky, Sam Calderone, Sal Yvars, Dave

Koslo, Wes Westrum, Henry Thompson, Don Mueller,

The 1951 Topps Team cards are a set that was not fully realized. Issued with both the Connie Mack All
Stars and Major League All Stars in nickel Baseball Candy packs containing Red or Blue Backs they are
seven teams shy of the full complement of sixteen major league clubs that played in 1951. Undated cards
and dated varieties were issued, the latter purportedly representing 1950 squads but in reality they were
just a ruse by Topps. Team cards feature black and white photographs in black and white with the team
name on a small plate, surrounded by a thick, mustardy-yellow border. The backs had minimal text in a
small, red font and identified the team and subjects appearing on the front. In addition, the Philadelphia

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Phillies are identified as National League Champions with small pennants to either side of the team name
on the reverse. A small nub can often be observed dead center on the top and bottom edges of intact
cards. The measurements mean that a vertical panel of two Red or Blue Backs is the same size as one
Team card, so designed to be sold in the nickel Baseball Candy packages.

Team cards can be found with tannish "unfinished" backs, cream backs, or brilliant white backs. The
tannish backs are much more "natural" in tone than the cream or white backs. The dated variety came out
after the undated versions according to the American Card Catalog, almost certainly in an attempt by
Topps to stay out of litigation with Bowman or circumvent certain contracts. These are found with tan or
cream backs only while the undated cards come only with brilliant white backs.

The assumption is that brilliant white backed subsets were printed and sold together but this has not
been confirmed and mix and match packaging is certainly possible. Not only is there scant information on
which subset was sold with other subsets of Baseball Candy, there is no real consensus on whether dated
or undated cards are in shorter supply, although the undated ones tend to sell for 10-15% less than the
dated types. At least one variety of the dated cards would have been part of the version of Baseball Candy
packs also containing Major League All Stars and Blue Backs. These latter packs may only have been
sold in the metropolitan Philadelphia and New York areas.

Team cards are found today in greater supply than the two All Star issues, probably because the latter
were more fragile and once punched out were not as likely to be retained as keepsakes. Although each
end of a Team card was cut leaving a small nub, these are often found worn down today and examples
that grade above Excellent are in quite short supply. The seven missing teams are: Boston Braves,
Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis
Browns. Given the multiple printings of the set, these seven appear to never have been intended as part of
the issue.

(Sources: American Card Catalog, The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Sports Collectors
Digest, Author's Research)

TEAMS CHECKLIST

NAME

TEAM

BOSTON RED SOX

RED SOX

BROOKLYN DODGERS

DODGERS

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

WHITE SOX

CINCINNATI REDS

REDS

NEW YORK GIANTS

GIANTS

PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

PHILLIES

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

CARDINALS

WASHINGTON SENATORS

SENATORS

WHITE BACK

350

WHITE BACK

250

WHITE BACK

200

WHITE BACK

225

WHITE BACK

225

WHITE BACK

200

WHITE BACK

200

WHITE BACK

300

WHITE BACK

200

CREAM BACK

325

CREAM BACK

225

CREAM BACK

175

CREAM BACK

200

CREAM BACK

200

CREAM BACK

175

CREAM BACK

175

CREAM BACK

250

CREAM BACK

175

TAN BACK

325

TAN BACK

225

TAN BACK

175

TAN BACK

200

TAN BACK

200

TAN BACK

175

TAN BACK

175

TAN BACK

250

TAN BACK

175

BASE SET (INTACT)
FIVE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SEE RIGHT
SPEC.
SPEC.
SPEC.

CREAM BACK

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952)

Issued As: Baseball ACC #: R414-6

Issue Date: 1952 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane, "6 pack" of six 5 cent packs

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 407 Number of Series: 6 Sheet Size: 100/200

Black Back

Red Back

Baseball was seen by the Shorins as the way to sustain their confectionery business. Baseball's half-year
shelf life and large fan base among kids had bolstered Bowman since 1948 and would ultimately allow
Topps to prevail against their biggest rival. Designed by Sy Berger and Woody Gelman, the 1952 inaugural
series is a revered set and features the hobby's second most iconic card, #311 Mickey Mantle.

The Giant Size card was a key element of the 1952 attack on Bowman, which had continued with a larger
2 1/6" x 3 1/8" configuration they debuted in 1951. Other design features included team logos, a facsimile
autograph and the use of an extended line of statistics on the backs that included career totals. Black
and white photos, some of which probably came from the Russell Publishing acquisition, were colored
using the Flexichrome process and some had quite expressive backgrounds added. The 1952 set was
designed to blow Bowman out of the water.

Production of the first series began in mid February of 1 952. The cards were printed by Lord Baltimore
Publishing and shipped from their namesake city's plant to Topps at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn as uncut
sheets. Once at Topps, the cards would be cut into strips, then individual cards, which were put into
hoppers, to be met by a slab of pink bubble gum and wrapped in horizontally oriented glassine paper
during the wrapping and boxing process. They started appearing in stores on the East Coast in March and
a little later elsewhere, as shipments headed west and south. Every six weeks or so another series would
be issued. Early packs carried a message from Topps about the size and appeal of the new cards; later
series would have an ad for baseball pennants.

These cards capture the sport at a critical juncture. 1952 would be the last year of the Boston Braves
before their move to Milwaukee and the St. Louis Browns would only be around for another season before
heading to Baltimore and undergoing a name change. Even the venerable Philadelphia Athletics would be

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

uprooted after the 1954 season as baseball started spreading out of the U.S. Northeast and into the
heartland. These moves would help fuel growth at Topps but for this one year the cards pictured some of
the last photographic glimpses of players from these three teams, in the largest postwar up until then.

Series 1 (#1-80)

The 80 first series cards are known with black and red backs. This refers to the color of the information
block at the top, the k directly below the card number, the line that states Major League Batting record
et al (including the parallel lines above and below this) and the "k TOPPS BASEBALL "k centered at the
bottom. These were all then changed to red at the end of the run. The black backs contain two error
cards which help pinpoint how the series was printed.

#48 Joe Page and #49 Johnny Sain had their backs reversed initially, a mistake that was corrected but
can only be found in black backed form, just like the error. The red backed versions of these two cards
have the correct backs, which gives us, using the details from these two cards and another error (#56
Tommy Glaviano, which has an obverse Cardinals logo with a white background on his black back but it is
properly colored yellow on his red back), a print order of two black back runs and then at least one with
red backs. Using PSA set composition weightings and pricing of the error and corrected versions in black
and the corrected red back version, yield a ratio of roughly 1 black: 4 black: 2 red on the print runs. The
black backed error versions are far tougher than the corrected versions with either back color.

Topps took advantage of the Page and Sain changeover to also tweak the background of some other
cards. Card no. 42 Lou Kretlow can be found with a yellow or peach background on his black backed
cards, with the peach continuing through to the red back run, indicating yellow would have come first.
#43 Ray Scarborough also has the same background variations. #55, Ray Boone can be found with a dark
orange or green background on his black backed cards and a green or yellow-green one (referred to as
olive sometimes) on his red backed card. It is unclear from available scans if there is any commonality of
these colors across the black and red backs but it would be indicative of a second run of red backs being
printed if two types of the latter exist. Finally card #80 (Herman Wehmeier) has either a yellow/red or
orange/red background on the black backs, the latter of which also carried though to the red backs. There
is not enough in terms of set weighting and pricing available to determine which versions of the black
backs are scarcest but would make sense that background colors surviving the black to red back switch
are available in greater quantities.

Although red and black backs are not found in the same numbers no premium attaches to either color,
there being an abundant supply of both. Colors on the black back obverses are muted when compared to
those on the red backs and Topps must have switched to the red backs in attempt to fix the color
problem. Whether this was due to the ink or cardboard is unclear but the red backs are far sharper and
feature better contrast. The cardboard on both black and red backs is gray on the reverse.

With a 200 card array, there should be 40 overprinted cards but it is not known if this is a true triple
printing of 40 subjects or a quadrupling of only 20 as a full production sheet is unknown for this series, or
any other (although a proof sheet of series two exists with the full series displayed but with some
columns and rows excised). Most surviving 1952 uncut cards are found in panels, usually in 4 x 4 or 5 x 5
arrays. This very possibly was due to Topps using them as point of sale advertisements but other
configurations do exist. An array of two 5 x10 panels gives some insight into the printing and shows five
rows of cards:

51-60
41-50
51-60
71-80
61-70

One DP row out of five (51-60) does prove out to 40 overprints if projected over the full series.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Card #1, Andy Pafko commands a significant premium in higher grade when compared to other Brooklyn
Dodgers commons and this even extends to this cards in lesser conditions, which is illogical but has been
a consistent pattern for decades. To compound things, #2 Pete Runnels also shows signs of this, although
the premium for his high grade examples is nowhere near that of Pafko's.

Card # 20, Billy Loes, if you look at the stitching on the baseball containing the card number on the
reverse, has it running to the left and right of the number, as opposed to above and below, as found on
every other card. It is like this on both the black and red backs so the error was either missed,
considered too minor to repair, or was a Topps homage to a slightly askew Brooklyn Dodger.

First series cards may not have seen distribution in Canada. According to long time collector and dealer
John Rumierz, only the last five series were contracted for release in Canada. The method of export
(sheets or packs) is unclear but they were using O-Pee-Chee for distribution even at this early stage.

Series 2 (#81-130)

The second series numbers only 50 cards and is the shortest series in the 1952 set. All cards from here
on were red backs, although variations can still be found. #88 Feller comes with a background showing
the slats on a building either in sharp focus or in a bit of a haze, the latter being the scarcer version and
by a wide margin. This could indicate two print runs or perhaps an inking problem was corrected as the
run progressed.

A large partial sheet with vertical and horizontal gutters exists. Unlike the first series, where the rows
were printed out of sequence, the second series was quite ordered:

81-90

91-100

101-110

111-120

121-130

There would be no overprints in a 50 card series.

Series 3 (#131-190)

The third series of 60 cards has a story far different than the first two. A significant obverse variation
exists, namely #146 Frank House, where the Tigers logo appears to have a either yellow or red faced tiger
displayed, the latter being correct. The yellow version is far scarcer, perhaps by a factor of 10x or more,
compared to the red. #162 Del Crandall can also be found with a deep red or an orange background, the
latter of which appears to be more difficult.

Hall of Famers and stars are also lacking in this series. No HOF members are found in the third series, the
only series in the set with such a paucity of stars. The big story with the third series though relates to a
variant of the cardboard used. Topps switched to a cream colored back for this series but a very small
amount of cards exist with gray backs. While known in the hobby as the "Canadian" series, these gray
backs were not issued in Canada and the attribution appears related to some gray backed 1954 baseball
cards being printed, or at least distributed, up North. They also, as noted collector Ted Zanidakis has
pointed out, are not found with gum stains, indicating a non-pack method of distribution, possibly vending.
Hobby legend has it they were distributed with Doeskin tissues but the two Topps non-sports issues that
came with those tissues were oversized and also had indicia identifying them as Doeskin and not Topps
product, so the connection in 1952 is wishful thinking at best.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The gray backs can have either very muted colors with little gloss on their fronts, which will also appear
faded or brown on the borders, or almost normal obverses with white borders and normal gloss when
compared to the regular 1952 cards. The latter is particularly difficult to find but it is believed every
number in this series should have been printed with both types of gray back.

Since Topps switched back to gray cardboard backs in the next series, it seems entirely possible there
was an issue with the gray cardboard used for the third series and a quick switch was made to the white
cardboard backs to get the cards out. Whatever happened, the third series gray backs are quite rare,
although pricing, while high, is not truly indicative of this due to lack of awareness and interest.

There should be 20 overprints in the third series, appearing at a ratio of 4:3. No uncut arrays exist to shed
light on which cards were overprinted.

Series 4 (#191-250)

The fourth series consists of 60 cards and is gray backed once again. There are no significant variations
in this series. Once again 20 overprints would have been struck and no partial sheets have been seen to
detail which cards were extra prints.

Series 5 (#251-310)

This official story is this was planned to be the final series of the year before Sy Berger supposedly
lobbied Joseph Shorin around the time Series 4 was on the shelves and convinced him to extend the set.
The fifth series exists in lower quantities than the previous four which indicates a shorter print run.
Commonly referred to as the semi-high series, modern pricing points to a supply of about 25% less when
compared to populations of the earlier series. Once again, 60 cards comprise the series and 20 overprints
would have been created.

Topps started to run out of ballplayers in this series, as cards of coaches and managers begin appear. A
major variation appears in the fifth series as card #307 of Frank Campos can be found with either two
black stars or one black and one red on the reverse. The latter is quite scarce and commands a
significant premium. Another Campos variation is on the front of the card as very few have the upper left
corner border missing. It is unclear if there is a correlation to the black star variation or not on these
particular examples. The last card in this series, #310 George Metkovich, commands a condition sensitive
premium in NM-MT as many locales did not see release of the high numbers and his was the last card in
many rubber-banded stacks. The premium for this card in lesser grades appears to have leveled off.

Series 6 (#311-407)

The sixth series was actually referred to by Topps as the "Second Series" and was marketed in a way that
supported this message. No penny packs have been identified and the nickel packs, which seem to
account for the only method of initial distribution, had a wrapper that was changed in some instances to a
blue and red scheme for this series. As this wrapper closely resembles the 1953 wrapper, it may be the
source for the claim that 1952 high numbers have been found in '53 packs. The easiest way to tell the
wrappers apart is that the 1952 version is horizontal, does not have the baseball tilted at an angle and has
side panel ads for pennant and emblem premiums while the 1953 five cent wrapper is vertical and has a
prominent side panel ad for Bazooka. Some 1 953 wrappers are dated as well.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

An account given by former Topps statistician and eventual after-market test issue dealer Bill Haber
(although he joined Topps after 1952) states the high numbers were only available in New York. This
sounds dubious on the face but the cards debuted around the time of the World Series and may only have
been on sale in New York City during the baseball season and elsewhere afterwards. Indeed, a surviving
advertisement lists only New York City players as the stars in the second series as Brooklyn and the
Yankees faced off. The timing may also have had to do with expiry of some Bowman contracts, with the
end of the regular season marking a turnover point for some players.

There are 97 high numbers, of which 35 are from the three New York City teams (16 Dodgers, 12 Giants
and 7 Yankees) and 14 Boston players (9 Red Sox and 5 Braves) which means over half the high numbers
cover just two cities. There was a big find of wax pack high numbers in Boston in 1986 so clearly the
cards were sold there too. The high numbers would eventually receive a wider, if sporadic distribution,
very slowly moving west and south. This is consistent with Topps' distribution patterns over the next
dozen years.

Pittsburgh has 10 players in the series, Cincinnati has 9 as does Chicago, which are all Cubs-there are no
White Sox in the high numbers. That's 77 cards for five cities covering 8 teams and these cities probably
saw the high numbers at some point in late 1952, certainly some Chicago suburbs did.

The two Philadelphia teams total 7 cards (4 Phillies, 3 Athletics), St. Louis has 7 as well (4 Cardinals, 3
Browns). Cleveland and Detroit between them get 5 (3 and 2 respectively) and the Senators got 1 (a very
lonely Connie Marrero). So we have 20 cards representing five cities and 7 teams on the opposite end of
the spectrum. Distribution in these cities is unknown but recent hobby surveys show Philadelphia
received the high numbers at some point. Some even made it to North Carolina, as verified by purchasers
almost 60 years later.

Hobby surveys also indicate upstate New York and Canada got the high numbers; there have been a few
finds in those remote (for MLB) areas over the years too with confirmed purchases in a suburb of Toronto.
Looking westward purchases were recalled in Oklahoma City in 1952 and in Los Angeles, quite late in the
year and Vancouver, B.C. They were also available in Rialto, California, a San Bernardino suburb, in 1953
at a Rexall drug store, a chain which had thousands of stores nationwide at the time and may have been a
major distributor and outlet for Topps, much like Woolworth's. Veteran west coast dealer Mark Macrae
believes they were never sold in the San Francisco area though.

There were also numerous stories of people not being able to find the highs in their neighborhoods after
being able to find semi-highs. Distribution was quite scattered but Topps' Canadian distributor (O-Pee-
Chee) had contracted for the same amount of high numbers as semi-highs and it seems probable they
were printed in the same quantities as the fifth series. It's what happened after 1952 that has made the
high numbers so valuable.

Official Legend has it that Topps tried for years to sell excess 1952 high numbers, first in Canada, then in
bulk to carnivals and midways before Sy Berger personally supervised a dumping of two truckloads
(sometimes he says three) from a garbage scow in the Atlantic Bight off New Jersey in 1960. This story is
certainly apocryphal. Topps did have quantities of leftover high numbers and may have tried for years to
sell them off in creative ways to carnivals and amusement parks and many of them were indeed dumped
but into Venezuela, a practice they followed for years with leftover baseball cards. It sounds odd but the
Shorins were quite comfortable dealing with far off countries after decades of doing business in them from
the tobacco and gum trades and there were only a few outposts that were keen enough on baseball for
such a plan to make sense. Survival rates for such cards would have been very low.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps, if indeed they were bent on destruction, probably incinerated the rest of the 1952 highs; it would
have been cheaper by far than hiring a tug and barge. Or they just made the whole thing up as Woody
Gelman's Card Collectors Company sold them for many years.

Topps presumably wanted to include an even 100 cards in the Second Series as every other Giant Size
series from 1952-56 was issued, or intended to be issued, in series divisible by ten. A goodly number of
late season call-ups and coaches pepper the run but Topps had plenty of star power for their last series of
the year, enough even that one could wonder if the series was planned from the start. Ten mostly
established-by-then players and coaches from the series are in the Hall of Fame but they came up three
short of one hundred and double printed cards of #311 Mickey Mantle, #312 Jackie Robinson and #313
Bobby Thomson. The stitching on the baseballs containing the card number on the reverse point either
left or right on these, which is unheard of with any other cards in the set. This can allow easy
identification of the variations for each player but there are differences on the obverse of these three
cards as well, with all but the Robinson's fairly easy to spot.

The obverses also show how rushed the production was with tilted nameplates on many cards. High
numbers also seem to be found in far nicer condition generally than lower series cards; their lack of
handling in 1952 had benefits for the modern collector. Centering, a major problem throughout the set and
a problem Topps never really solved in the vintage era, is a particular plague with the high number cards.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture
Collection, Baseball Card Variation Book Vol. 2, http://www.psacard.com , http://net54baseball.com/ ,
http://1952toppsbaseballcards.com/ , George Vrechek, Josh Alpert, Author's Research)

1952 Topps Baseball Uncut Panel (Courtesy Anthony Nex)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

ANDYPAFKO

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JAMES E. RUNNELS

SENATORS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

HANK THOMPSON

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

DON LENHARDT

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

LARRY JANSEN

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GRADY HATTON

REDS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

FRED MARSH

BROWNS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BOBBY HOGUE

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

MONTY BAGSALL

PIRATES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JOHNNY WYROSTEK

REDS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BOB ELLIOT

BRAVES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JOHNNY PESKY

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GENEHERMANSKI

CUBS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

MERRILL COMBS

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JOHNNY BUCHA

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BILLY LOES

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

FERRIS FAIN

ATHLETICS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

DOM DiMAGGIO

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BILLY GOODMAN

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

LUKE EASTER

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JOHNNY GROTH

TIGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

MONTY IRVIN

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SAM JETHROE

BRAVES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JERRY PRIDDY

TIGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

MEL PARNELL

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GUSZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

EDDIE ROBINSON

WHITE SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

HANK SAUER

CUBS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

DUKE SNIDER

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WALLY WESTLAKE

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

"DIZZY" TROUT

TIGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

IRV NOREN

SENATORS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BOB WELLMAN

ATHLETICS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

LOU KRETLOW

WHITE SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

RAY SCARBOROUGH

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

CON DEMPSEY

PHILLIES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

EDDIE JOOST

ATHLETICS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GORDON GOLDSBERRY

BROWNS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WILLIE JONES

PHILLIES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JOE PAGE

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

MARV RICKERT

WHITE SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

JIM RUSSELL

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

DON MUELLER

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

CHRIS VAN CUYK

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

LEO KIELY

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

TOMMY G LA VI AN O

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BOB MAHONEY

BROWNS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ROBIN ROBERTS

PHILLIES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SID HUDSON

SENATORS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

"TOOKIE" GILBERT

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

CHUCK STOBBS

WHITE SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

HOWIE POLLET

PIRATES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ROY SIEVERS

BROWNS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ENOS SLAUGHTER

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

PREACHER" ROE

DODGERS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ALLIE REYNOLDS

YANKEES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

CLIFF CHAMBERS

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

VIRGIL STALLCUP

REDS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

AL ZARILLA

WHITE SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

TOM UPTON

SENATORS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

KARL OLSON

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WILLIAM WERLE

PIRATES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ANDY HANSEN

PHILLIES

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

WES WESTRUM

GIANTS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

EDDIE STANKY

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

BOB KENNEDY

INDIANS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

ELLIS KINDER

RED SOX

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

GERALD STALEY

CARDINALS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

BLACK BACK

RED BACK

SEE BELOW

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

VERNON LAW

PIRATES

DUANEPILLETTE

BROWNS

BILLY JOHNSON

CARDINALS

VERN STEPHENS

RED SOX

BOB KUZAVA

YANKEES

TED GRAY

TIGERS

DALE COOGAN

PIRATES

BOB FELLER

INDIANS

HAZY

CLEAR

JOHNNY LIPON

TIGERS

MICKEY GRASSO

SENATORS

ALSCHOENDIENST

CARDINALS

DALE MITCHELL

INDIANS

AL5IMA

SENATORS

SAM MELE

SENATORS

KEN HOLCOMBE

WHITE SOX

WILLARD MARSHALL

BRAVES

EARLTORGESON

BRAVES

BILL PIERCE

WHITE SOX

GENE WOODLING

YANKEES

100

DEL RICE

CARDINALS

101

MAX LANIER

GIANTS

102

BILL KENNEDY

BROWNS

103

CLIFF MAPES

TIGERS

104

DON KOLLOWAY

TIGERS

105

JOHN PRAMESA

CUBS

106

MICKEY VERNON

SENATORS

107

CONNIE RYAN

PHILLIES

108

JIM KONSTANTY

PHILLIES

109

TED WILK5

PIRATES

110

DUTCH LEONARD

CUBS

111

HARRY LOWREY

CARDINALS

112

HENRY MAJESKI

ATHLETICS

113

DICKSISLER

REDS

114

WILLARD RAMSDELL

CUBS

115

GEORGE MUNGER

CARDINALS

116

CARL5CHEIB

ATHLETICS

117

SHERMAN LOLLAR

WHITE SOX

118

KEN RAFFENSBERGER

REDS

119

MAURICE McDERMOTT

RED SOX

120

BOB CHAKALES

INDIANS

121

GUS NIARIIOS

RED SOX

122

JACK JENSEN

YANKEES

123

EDDIE YOST

SENATORS

124

MONTE KENNEDY

GIANTS

125

BILL RIGNEY

GIANTS

126

FRED HUTCHINSON

TIGERS

127

PAULMINNER

CUBS

128

DON BOLLWEG

YANKEES

129

JOHNNY MIZE

YANKEES

130

SHELDON JONES

GIANTS

CREAM BACK

GRAY BACK

GRAY GLOSSY

131

MORRIE MARTIN

ATHLETICS

132

CLYDE KLUTTZ

SENATORS

133

ALWIDMAR

WHITE SOX

134

JOE TIPTON

ATHLETICS

135

DIXIE HOWELL

REDS

136

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

DODGERS

137

ROY MCMILLAN

REDS

138

BILLMacDONALD

PIRATES

139

KEN WOOD

RED SOX

140

JOHN ANTONELLI

BRAVES

141

CLINT HARTUNG

GIANTS

142

HARRY PERKOWSKI

REDS

143

LES MOSS

BROWNS

144

ED BLAKE

REDS

145

JOE HAYNES

SENATORS

146

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

SEE BELOW

147

BOB YOUNG

BROWNS

148

JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN

CUBS

149

DICK KRYHOSKI

BROWNS

150

TED BEARD

PIRATES

151

WALLY POST

REDS

152

AL EVANS

RED SOX

153

BOB RUSH

CUBS

154

JOE MUIR

PIRATES

155

FRANK OVERMIRE

YANKEES

156

FRANK HILLER

REDS

157

BOB USHER

CUBS

158

EDDIE WAITKUS

PHILLIES

159

SAUL ROGOVIN

WHITE SOX

160

OWEN FRIEND

BROWNS

161

BUD BYERLY

REDS

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

162

DEL CRANDALL

BRAVES

163

STAN ROJEK

BROWNS

164

WALT DUBIEL

CUBS

165

EDDIE KAZAK

CARDINALS

166

PAUL LaPALME

PIRATES

167

BILL HOWERTON

PIRATES

168

CHARLIE SILVERA

YANKEES

169

HOWIE JUDSON

WHITE SOX

170

GUS BELL

PIRATES

171

ED ERAUTT

REDS

172

EDDIE MIKSIS

CUBS

173

ROY SMALLEY

CUBS

174

CLARENCE MARSHALL

BROWNS

175

BILLY MARTIN

YANKEES

176

HANK EDWARDS

REDS

177

BILL WIGHT

RED SOX

178

CASS MICHAELS

SENATORS

179

FRANK SMITH

REDS

180

CHARLEY MAXWELL

RED SOX

181

BOB SWIFT

TIGERS

182

BILLY HITCHCOCK

ATHLETICS

183

ERV DUSAK

PIRATES

184

BOB RAMAZZOTTI

CUBS

185

BILL NICHOLSON

PHILLIES

186

WALT MASTERSON

RED SOX

187

BOB MILLER

PHILLIES

188

CLARENCE PODBIELAN

DODGERS

189

PETE REISER

INDIANS

190

DON JOHNSON

SENATORS

191

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

192

MYRON GINSBERG

TIGERS

193

HARRY SIMPSON

INDIANS

194

JOE HATTEN

CUBS

195

ORESTES MINOSO

WHITE SOX

196

SOLLY HEMUS

CARDINALS

197

GEORGE STRICKLAND

PIRATES

198

PHIL HAUGSTAD

DODGERS

199

GEORGE ZUVERINK

INDIANS

200

RALPH HOUK

YANKEES

201

ALEX KELLNER

ATHLETICS

202

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

203

CURT SIMMONS

PHILLIES

204

RON NORTHEY

CUBS

205

CLYDE KING

DODGERS

206

JOE OSTROWSKI

YANKEES

207

MICKEY HARRIS

INDIANS

208

MARLIN STUART

TIGERS

209

HOWIE FOX

PHILLIES

210

DICK FOWLER

ATHLETICS

211

RAY COLEMAN

WHITE SOX

212

NED GARVER

BROWNS

213

NIPPY JONES

PHILLIES

214

JOHNNY HOPP

YANKEES

215

HANK BAUER

YANKEES

216

RICHIE ASHBURN

PHILLIES

217

GEORGE STIRNWEISS

INDIANS

218

CLYDE McCULLOUGH

PIRATES

219

BOBBY SHANTZ

ATHLETICS

220

JOE PRESKO

CARDINALS

221

GRANNY HAMNER

PHILLIES

222

"HOOT" EVERS

TIGERS

223

DELENNIS

PHILLIES

224

BRUCE EDWARDS

CUBS

225

FRANK BAUMHOLTZ

CUBS

226

DAVE PHILLEY

ATHLETICS

227

JOE GARAGIOLA

PIRATES

228

AL BRAZLE

CARDINALS

229

GENE BEARDON

BROWNS

230

MATT BATTS

TIGERS

231

SAM ZOLDAK

ATHLETICS

232

BILLY COX

DODGERS

233

BOB FRIEND

PIRATES

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

234

STEVE SOUCHOCK

TIGERS

235

WALT DROPO

RED SOX

236

ED FITZ GERALD

PIRATES

237

JERRY COLEMAN

YANKEES

238

ART HOUTTEMAN

TIGERS

239

ROCKY BRIDGES

DODGERS

240

JACK PHILLIPS

PIRATES

241

TOMMY BYRNE

BROWNS

242

TOM POHOLSKY

CARDINALS

243

LARRY DOBY

INDIANS

244

VIC WERTZ

TIGERS

245

SHERRY ROBERTSON

SENATORS

246

GEORGE KELL

TIGERS

247

RANDY GUMPERT

RED SOX

248

FRANK SHEA

YANKEES

249

BOBBY ADAMS

REDS

250

CARL ERSKINE

DODGERS

251

CHICO CARRASQUEL

WHITE SOX

252

VERN BICKFORD

BRAVES

253

JOHNNY BERARDINO

INDIANS

254

JOE DOBSON

WHITE SOX

255

CLYDE VOLLMER

RED SOX

256

PETE SUDER

ATHLETICS

257

BOBBY AVILA

INDIANS

258

STEVE GROMEK

INDIANS

259

BOB ADDIS

CUBS

260

PETE CASTIGLIONE

PIRATES

261

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

262

VIRGIL TRUCKS

TIGERS

263

HARRY BRECHEEN

CARDINALS

264

ROY HARTSFIELD

BRAVES

265

CHUCK DIERING

GIANTS

266

MURRY DICKSON

PIRATES

267

SID GORDON

BRAVES

268

BOB LEMON

INDIANS

269

WILLARD NIXON

RED SOX

270

LOU BRISSIE

INDIANS

271

JIM DELSING

BROWNS

272

MIKE GARCIA

INDIANS

273

ERV PALICA

DODGERS

274

RALPH BRANCA

DODGERS

275

PAT MULLIN

TIGERS

276

JIM WILSON

BRAVES

277

EARLY WYNN

INDIANS

278

AL CLARK

ATHLETICS

279

ED STEWART

WHITE SOX

280

CLOYD BOYER

CARDINALS

281

TOMMY BROWN

PHILLIES

282

BIRDIE TEBBETTS

INDIANS

283

PHIL MASI

WHITE SOX

284

HANKARFT

BROWNS

285

CLIFF FANNIN

BROWNS

286

JOE DE MAESTRI

BROWNS

287

STEVE BILKO

CARDINALS

288

CHET NICHOLS

BRAVES

289

TOMMY HOLMES

BRAVES

290

JOE ASTROTH

ATHLETICS

291

GILCOAN

SENATORS

292

FLOYD BAKER

SENATORS

293

SIBBYSISTI

BRAVES

294

WALKER COOPER

BRAVES

295

PHIL CAVARRETTA

CUBS

296

"RED" ROLFE

TIGERS

297

ANDYSEMINICK

REDS

298

BOB ROSS

SENATORS

299

RAY MURRAY

ATHLETICS

300

BARNEY McCOSKEY

INDIANS

301

BOB PORTERFIELD

SENATORS

302

MAX SURKONT

BRAVES

303

HARRY DORISH

WHITE SOX

304

SAM DENTE

WHITE SOX

305

PAUL RICHARDS

WHITE SOX

306

LOU SLEATER

SENATORS

307

FRANK CAMPOS

SENATORS

308

LUIS ALOMA

WHITE SOX

309

JIM BUSBY

SENATORS

310

GEORGE METKOVICH

PIRATES

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

311

MICKEY MANTLE

YANKEES

312

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

313

BOBBY THOMSON

GIANTS

314

ROYCAMPANELLA

DODGERS

315

LEO DUROCHER

GIANTS

316

DAVEY WILLIAMS

GIANTS

317

CONNIE MARRERO

SENATORS

318

HAL GREGG

GIANTS

319

AL WALKER

DODGERS

320

JOHN RUTHERFORD

DODGERS

321

JOE BLACK

DODGERS

322

RANDY JACKSON

CUBS

323

BUBBA CHURCH

REDS

324

WARREN HACKER

CUBS

325

BILL SERENA

CUBS

326

GEORGE SHUBA

DODGERS

327

ARCHIE WILSON

RED SOX

328

BOB BORKOWSKI

REDS

329

IVAN DELOCK

RED SOX

330

TURK LOWN

CUBS

331

TOM MORGAN

YANKEES

332

TONY BARTIROME

PIRATES

333

PEE WEE REESE

DODGERS

334

WILMERMIZELL

CARDINALS

335

TED LEPCIO

RED SOX

336

DAVE KOSLO

GIANTS

337

JIM HEARN

GIANTS

338

SAL YVARS

GIANTS

339

RUSS MEYER

PHILLIES

340

BOB HOOPER

ATHLETICS

341

HAL JEFFCOAT

CUBS

342

CLEM LABINE

DODGERS

343

DICKGERNERT

RED SOX

344

ERNIE BLACKWELL

REDS

345

SAM WHITE

RED SOX

346

GEORGE SPENCER

GIANTS

347

JOE ADCOCK

REDS

348

BOB KELLY

CUBS

349

BOB CAIN

BROWNS

350

CALABRAMS

REDS

351

AL DARK

GIANTS

352

KARL DREWS

PHILLIES

353

BOB DEL GRECO

PIRATES

354

FRED HATFIELD

TIGERS

355

BOBBY MORGAN

DODGERS

356

TOBY ATWELL

CUBS

357

SMOKY BURGESS

PHILLIES

358

JOHN KUCAB

ATHLETICS

359

DEE FONDY

CUBS

360

GEORGE CROWE

BRAVES

361

BILLPOSEDEL

PIRATES

362

KEN HEINTZELMAN

PHILLIES

363

DICK ROZEK

INDIANS

364

CLYDE SUKEFORTH

PIRATES

365

"COOKIE" LAVAGETTO

DODGERS

366

DAVE MADISON

BROWNS

367

BOB THORPE

BRAVES

368

ED WRIGHT

ATHLETICS

369

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

370

BILLY HOEFT

TIGERS

371

BOB HOFMAN

GIANTS

372

GIL McDOUGALD

YANKEES

373

JIM TURNER

YANKEES

374

AL BENTON

RED SOX

375

JACK MERSON

PIRATES

376

FAYE THRONEBERRY

RED SOX

377

CHUCK DRESSEN

DODGERS

378

LEE FUSSELMAN

CARDINALS

379

JOE ROSSI

REDS

380

CLEM KOSHOREK

PIRATES

381

MILTON STOCK

PIRATES

382

SAM JONES

INDIANS

383

DELWILBER

RED SOX

384

FRANK CROSETTI

YANKEES

385

HERMAN FRANKS

GIANTS

STITCHES LEFT

STITCHES RIGHT

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1952) CHECKLIST

386

EDDIE YUHAS

CARDINALS

387

BILLY MEYER

PIRATES

388

BOB CHAPMAN

BRAVES

389

BEN WADE

DODGERS

390

GLENN NELSON

DODGERS

391

BEN CHAPMAN

REDS

392

HOYT WILHELM

GIANTS

393

EBBA ST. CLAIRE

BRAVES

394

BILLY HERMAN

DODGERS

395

JAKE PITLER

DODGERS

396

DICK WILLIAMS

DODGERS

397

FORREST MAIN

PIRATES

398

HAL RICE

CARDINALS

399

JIM FR1DLEY

INDIANS

400

BILL DICKEY

YANKEES

401

BOB SCHULTZ

CUBS

402

EARL HARRIST

BROWNS

403

BILL MILLER

YANKEES

404

DICK BRODOWSKI

RED SOX

405

EDDIE PELLAGRINI

REDS

406

JOE NUXHALL

REDS

407

EDDIE MATHEWS

BRAVES

CARDS WITH MULTIPLE VARIATIONS

LOU KRETLOW

WHITE SOX

LOU KRETLOW

WHITE SOX

LOU KRETLOW

WHITE SOX

RAY SCARBOROUGH

RED SOX

RAY SCARBOROUGH

RED SOX

RAY SCARBOROUGH

RED SOX

JOE PAGE

YANKEES

JOE PAGE

YANKEES

JOE PAGE

YANKEES

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

TOMMY G LA VI AN O

CARDINALS

TOMMY G LA VI AN O

CARDINALS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

146

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

146

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

162

DELCRANDALL

BRAVES

162

DELCRANDALL

BRAVES

307

FRANK CAMPOS

SENATORS

307

FRANK CAMPOS

SENATORS

307

FRANK CAMPOS

SENATORS

YELLOW BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK

PEACH BACKGROUND BLACK BACK

PEACH BACKGROUND RED BACK

YELLOW BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK
PEACH BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK
PEACH BACKGROUND-RED BACK

SAIN BIOGRAPHY-BLACK BACK

CORRECT BIOGRAPHY-BLACK BACK

CORRECT BIOGRAPHY-RED BACK

PAGE BIOGRAPHY-BLACK BACK

CORRECT BIOGRAPHY-BLACK BACK

CORRECT BIOGRAPHY-RED BACK

LIGHT GREEN BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK

DARK GREEN BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK

ORANGE BACKGROUND-RED BACK

GREEN BACKGROUND RED BACK

CARDINALS LOGO WHITE-BLACK BACK

CARDINALS LOGO YELLOW-RED BACKGROUND
YELLOW/RED BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK
ORANGE/RED BACKGROUND-BLACK BACK

ORANGE/RED BACKGROUND-RED BACK

TIGERS LOGO YELLOW

TIGERS LOGO RED

ORANGE BACKGROUND

RED BACKGROUND
BLACK STAR/RED STAR
RED STAR

BROKEN FRAME LINE

ANDY PAFKO

600

JAMES E.RUNNELS

100

PHIL RIZZUTO

225

DOM DiMAGGIO

100

WARREN SPAHN

100

GIL HODGES

100

DUKE SNIDER

125

JOE PAGE (SAIN BIO)

600

JOE PAGE

150

JOHNNY SAIN (PAGE BIO)

550

JOHNNY SAIN

100

ROBIN ROBERTS

BOB FELLER

125

175

BILLY MARTIN

180

191

YOGI BERRA

275

216

RICHIE ASHBURN

261

WILLIE MAYS

850

307

FRANK CAMPOS (BLACK STAR)

2,500

311

MICKEY MANTLE

15,000

312

JACKIE ROBINSON

1,250

314

ROY CAMPANELLA

1,000

321

JOE BLACK

275

333

PEE WEE REESE

700

342

CLEM LAB IN E

275

372

GIL McDOUGALD

350

392

HOYT WILHELM

525

394

BILLY HERMAN

325

396

DICK WILLIAMS

325

400

BILL DICKEY

525

406

JOE NUXHALL

300

407

EDDIE MATHEWS

3,250

NM VALUE: 15,000
NM VALUE: 2,000

COMMON (1-250)

SUPER COMMON (1-250)

SEMI STAR (1-250)

GRAY BACK (131-190)

500

GRAY BACK/GLOSSY (131-190)

SPEC.

COMMON (251-310)

SUPER COMMON (251-310)

COMMON (311-407)

150

SUPER COMMON (311-407)

175

SEMI STAR (311-407)

200

BASE SET (1-310)

6,000

BASE SET (1-407)

45,000

ONE CENT WRAPPER

250

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (GREEN)

150

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (BLUE)

SPEC.

ONE CENT PACK (LOW NUMBER)

1,750

FIVE CENT PACK (LOW NUMBER)

3,000

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1953)

Issued As: Baseball ACC #: R414-7

Issue Date: 1953 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane, "6 pack" of six 5 cent packs

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 274 (Skip numbered to 280) Number of Series: 4 Sheet Size: 100/200

Bats: Left— Throve I

After appearing in 10 games for J
Dodgers in '52, Cal was traded to the- Reds. We piayej
games without making ariieTrXriny52 ttan»afy~«rtfr£T(ier in
thatlL. Cal stalked jp a kBaflMw^^y^ae record since he
brtkejnto pLThall in '42. HKJjft-327 in '42 and after 3 years
inVe ServkSJe posted marks of .331, .345, .337, ,336 and
.333 rb$£dl©b*njp)roLjght up to the Dodgers to stay in 1950.
Cat was ffWed to the Pirates in October of 1952.

minimum dugout quiz

past™. LIFE r

GAMES .... 81 ]S4

AT SAT ... . IBS 3B&

RUNS 2J 62

HITS 46 99 S iSi—^?".

DOUBLES ... 9

TRIPLES ... Z

HOMERS ... 2

Ft. B. 1 13 3S t^ry/r^-K-/

BAT. AVG. . . .274 .255 j£y 3*^

PUTOUTS ... 87 177 ■

5Kf ■■ I l What is an eiror calls! in base

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Black lettering on back

White lettering on back

1953 saw Topps use paintings instead of photographs on their baseball cards. While the set is considered
another classic by many collectors, the lack of photos is curious and seemingly represents a step
backwards. However, Gerry Dvorak, one of the artists who created the pictures used in the set, revealed
in an interview years ago that for the fifty or so players he painted, he was given black and white
photographs of each to work from. Therefore, three possibilities present themselves:

a) the paintings were planned to circumvent Bowman's right to use photographs;

b) it was cheaper to use the paintings;

c) the plan was to use paintings all along.

The paintings were done for $25 each, with Woody Gelman directing the artists as to what colors to use;
each would add their own embellishments as they worked and a few cards have Topps ads and other
amusing visuals slyly inserted into the backgrounds. At least 282 paintings, roughly 3 1/2" by 4 3/4" were
created by various artists and a minimum of 156 are still in existence, mainly thanks to Sy Berger who had
117 of them, some hanging in his Topps office with many more stashed in his home's basement for 55
years. Berger's were auctioned off by Robert Edward Auctions in 2010; a prior auction in 1989 held by
Guernsey's featured six others, including Mantle and Mays, and a few other sales have been documented.
Berger has stated too that some players and executives were presented with the paintings over the years.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The set is known for six high numbers that were withdrawn following a legal challenge by Bowman;
judicial opinions make it clear these cards were printed and then pulled after being cut but no one has
ever divulged the six names that were excised, suggesting a Bowman representative oversaw their
removal and destruction. Artwork is known for eight unissued subjects: Andy Pafko, Billy Cox, Pete
Castiglione, Richie Ashburn, Harry Brecheen, Max Lanier, Joe Tipton and Ken Wood. It is highly probable
some if not all of the six unissued cards are represented by this group. Additionally, Bob Borkowski and
Curt Simmons were each painted twice by Gerry Dvorak; his first attempts were rejected and he retained
the artwork for those two before eventually giving it away.

Topps skipped five numbers in the lower series but whether it was to have the kids chase cards that had
not yet been printed or merely reflected the reality some players might have to be pulled in pre-production
is anybody's guess. They were deliberately skip numbering cards in a select few sets of this era to
stimulate sales but allowing for the possibility of an injunction against certain players being issued also
seems quite possible. Fortunately, a find of first series cards in uncut strip in the early 1980's has given
some insight as to how these cards were produced.

Condition is a major issue with the 1953 cards as each has a full bleed nameplate on the front that
touches parts of two edges. Red and black are the only two colors used for these nameplates, which has
the player's name in white, and no player has two different colored nameplates. Players with long last
names have the first name in lowercase, with the first letter capitalized, otherwise the names are in
capital letters. The player's position on the red nameplates is in black and vice-versa on the black
nameplates. The team name is in yellow and a large team logo is prominent. Card #1, Jackie Robinson is
a condition sensitive example as is #280, Milt Boiling.

Series 1 (#1-85)

Topps took their wrapper motif from 1952 and converted it to a vertical format. First series packs showed
the year of issue, which was removed as later series were issued. Five cards that fall within the range of
this series were actually printed on the second series sheets: nos. 10 (Smokey Burgess), 44 (Ellis Kinder),
61 (Early Wynn), 72 (Fred Hutchinson) and 81 (Joe Black). Unlike the rest of the first series, which have
the player's vital statistics printed in black in the red information block atop the back, these five can have
the statistics presented not only in black like the rest of the series but also in white; they are thought to
be short prints; Burgess is thought especially tough, perhaps his second series appearance was on a row
that was not printed thrice. Black printed vitals are considered scarcer for these five cards.

The reason these five cards are known to be part of the next series, aside from their white printed backs,
is due to a find in 1983 of uncut first series strips in a dusty corner of an old Long Island carting company
that had been contracted to haul trash from Bush Terminal for many years. The strips were haphazardly
cut, which in effect made them giant puzzle pieces and the entire collection was reassembled and
photographed to show what a full, 200 card uncut sheet looked like. The five missing cards were nowhere
to be found on this construct. Of the eighty cards printed in this series, forty are overprinted at a 3:2 ratio.
The price spread between single and double prints has narrowed over the years and is almost irrelevant
by now.

Series 2 (#86-165)

The second series of eighty also contains five slots that were withheld until the next series: nos. 94
(William Kennedy), 107 (Danny O'Connell, 131 (Harry Byrd), 145 (Harry Dorish) and 156 (Jim Rivera),
pushed aside to make room for the first series laggards. Unlike their first series counterparts, these are all

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

considered double prints. While the entire series can be found with black (scarcer) or white vitals on the
backs, these five cards only come in white, as do all other cards after #165.

Series 3 (#166-220)

The third series in 1953 is a bit of an unknown compared to the first two and all backs from here on
featured white vitals. Fifty five numbers spanning the run indicates the withholding of five numbers did
not occur with this series as producing a run of 60 with a partial row of five would not match the typical
Topps pattern of ten per row at the time. This series is thought to be printed in slightly smaller numbers
then the preceding two and 20 numbers would be overprinted at a 4:3 ratio but there is no consensus on
the short prints. Starting with #185, Jim Pendleton, the first Braves player to appear in this series, the city
name for the team changed from Boston to Milwaukee. The team announced the move on March 18 th , so it
took some time for Topps to catch up.

Series 4 (#221-280)

If not for six pulled cards of unidentified players (nos. 253, 261, 267,268, 271 and 275), the fourth series
would have been comprised of sixty cards. There should be 20 overprints, at a 4:3 ratio; the pulled cards
were almost certainly destroyed and not replaced on the sheet by six other known subjects. This was the
last series of the year and it is in short supply today; the highs are probably just about as scarce as the
prior year's. Topps learned from their 1952 high number fiasco to throttle production at the season's end.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture
Collection, http://net54baseball.com/ , Bruce McCanna, George Vrechek, Baseball Cards Magazine Aug.
1984 - " '53 Topps Sheet Rarities" by Lew Lipset, Author's Research)

(Uncut Strip - Author's Collection)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1953) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

LUKE EASTER

INDIANS

GEORGE CROWE

BRAVES

BEN WADE

DODGERS

JOE DOBSON

WHITE SOX

SAM JONES

INDIANS

BOB BORKOWSKI

REDS

CLEM KOSHOREK

PIRATES

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

SMOKEY BURGESS

PHILLIES

SAL WARS

GIANTS

HOWIE JUDSON

REDS

CONNIE MARRERO

SENATORS

CLEM LAB IN E

DODGERS

BOBO NEWSOM

ATHLETICS

HARRY LOWREY

CARDINALS

BILLY HITCHCOCK

ATHLETICS

TED LEPCIO

RED SOX

MEL PARNELL

RED SOX

HANK THOMPSON

GIANTS

BILLY JOHNSON

CARDINALS

HOWIE FOX

PHILLIES

TOBY ATWELL

CUBS

FERRIS FAIN

ATHLETICS

RAY BOONE

INDIANS

DALE MITCHELL

INDIANS

ROYCAMPANELLA

DODGERS

EDDIE PELLAGRINI

REDS

HAL JEFFCOAT

CUBS

WILLARD NIXON

RED SOX

EWELL BLACKWELL

YANKEES

CLYDE VOLLMER

RED SOX

BOB KENNEDY

INDIANS

GEORGE SHUBA

DODGERS

IRV NOREN

YANKEES

JOHNNY GROTH

BROWNS

ED MATHEWS

BRAVES

JIM HEARN

GIANTS

EDDIE MIKSIS

CUBS

JOHN LIPON

RED SOX

ENOS SLAUGHTER

CARDINALS

GUS ZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

GIL McDOUGALD

YANKEES

ELLIS KINDER

RED SOX

GRADY HATTON

REDS

JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN

CUBS

BUBBA CHURCH

REDS

BOB DEL GRECO

PIRATES

FAYE THRONE BERRY

RED SOX

CHUCK DRESSEN

DODGERS

FRANK CAMPOS

SENATORS

TED GRAY

TIGERS

SHERMAN LOLLAR

WHITE SOX

BOB FELLER

INDIANS

MAURICE McDERMOTT

RED SOX

GERALD STALEY

CARDINALS

CARLSCHEIB

ATHLETICS

GEORGE METKOVICH

PIRATES

KARL DREWS

PHILLIES

CLOYD BOYER

CARDINALS

EARLY WYNN

INDIANS

MONTE IRVIN

GIANTS

GUS NIARHOS

RED SOX

DAVE PHILLEY

ATHLETICS

EARL HARRIST

BROWNS

ORESTES MINOSO

WHITE SOX

ROY SIEVERS

BROWNS

DEL RICE

CARDINALS

DICK BRODOWSKI

RED SOX

ED YUHAS

CARDINALS

TONY BARTIROME

PIRATES

FRED HUTCHINSON

TIGERS

EDDIE ROBINSON

WHITE SOX

JOE ROSSI

PIRATES

MIKE GARCIA

INDIANS

PEE WEE REESE

DODGERS

JOHN MIZE

YANKEES

AL SCHOENDIENST

CARDINALS

JOHNNY WYROSTEK

PHILLIES

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

JOE BLACK

DODGERS

MICKEY MANTLE

YANKEES

HOWIE POLLET

PIRATES

BOB HOOPER

INDIANS

BOBBY MORGAN

DODGERS

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1953) CHECKLIST

BILLY MARTIN

YANKEES

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

WILLIE JONES

PHILLIES

CHUCK STOBBS

SENATORS

HANK EDWARDS

BROWNS

EBBA ST. CLAIRE

BRAVES

PAULMINNER

CUBS

HAL RICE

CARDINALS

WILLIAM KENNEDY

RED SOX

WILLARD MARSHALL

REDS

VIRGIL TRUCKS

BROWNS

DON KOLLOWAY

ATHLETICS

CAL ABRAMS

PIRATES

DAVE MADISON

TIGERS

100

BILL MILLER

YANKEES

101

TED WILKS

INDIANS

102

CONNIE RYAN

PHILLIES

103

JOE ASTROTH

ATHLETICS

104

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

105

JOE NUXHALL

REDS

106

JOHN ANTONELLI

BRAVES

107

DANNY O'CONNELL

PIRATES

108

BOB PORTERFIELD

SENATORS

109

ALVIN DARK

GIANTS

110

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDS

111

HANK SAUER

CUBS

112

NEDGARVER

TIGERS

113

JERRY PRIDDY

TIGERS

114

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

115

GEORGE SPENCER

GIANTS

116

FRANK SMITH

REDS

117

SID GORDON

BRAVES

118

GUS BELL

REDS

119

JOHN SAIN

YANKEES

120

DAVEY WILLIAMS

GIANTS

121

WALT DROPO

TIGERS

122

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

123

TOMMY BYRNE

WHITE SOX

124

SIBBYSISTI

BRAVES

125

DICK WILLIAMS

DODGERS

126

BILL CONNELLY

GIANTS

127

CLINT COURTNEY

BROWNS

128

WILMERMIZELL

CARDINALS

129

KEITH THOMAS

ATHLETICS

130

TURK LOWN

CUBS

131

HARRY BYRD

ATHLETICS

132

TOM MORGAN

YANKEES

133

GIL COAN

SENATORS

134

RUBE WALKER

DODGERS

135

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

136

KEN HEINTZELMAN

PHILLIES

137

JOHN RUTHERFORD

DODGERS

138

GEORGE KELL

RED SOX

139

SAMMY WHITE

RED SOX

140

TOMMY GLAVIANO

PHILLIES

141

ALLIE REYNOLDS

YANKEES

142

VIC WERTZ

BROWNS

143

BILLY PIERCE

WHITE SOX

144

BOB SCHULTZ

CUBS

145

HARRY DORISH

WHITE SOX

146

GRANVILLE HAMNER

PHILLIES

147

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

148

MICKEY GRASSO

SENATORS

149

DOM DiMAGGIO

RED SOX

150

HARRY SIMPSON

INDIANS

151

HOYTWILHELM

GIANTS

152

BOB ADAMS

REDS

153

ANDYSEMINICK

REDS

154

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

155

DUTCH LEONARD

CUBS

156

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

157

BOB ADDIS

CUBS

158

JOHN LOGAN

BRAVES

159

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

SENATORS

160

BOB YOUNG

BROWNS

161

VERN BICKFORD

BRAVES

162

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDS

163

FRED HATFIELD

TIGERS

164

FRED SHEA

SENATORS

165

BILLY HOEFT

TIGERS

BLACK LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER
WHITE LETTER

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1953) CHECKLIST

166

BILL HUNTER

BROWNS

167

ART SCHULT

YANKEES

168

WILLARD SCHMIDT

CARDINALS

169

DIZZY TROUT

RED SOX

170

BILLWERLE

RED SOX

171

BOB GLYNN

INDIANS

172

RIPREPULSKI

CARDINALS

173

PRESTON WARD

CUBS

174

BILLY LOES

DODGERS

175

RON KLINE

PIRATES

176

DON HOAK

DODGERS

177

JIM DYCK

BROWNS

178

JIM WAUGH

PIRATES

179

GENE HERMANSKI

CUBS

180

VIRGIL STALLCUP

CARDINALS

181

AL ZARILLA

RED SOX

182

BOB HOFMAN

GIANTS

183

STU MILLER

CARDINALS

184

HAL BROWN

RED SOX

185

JIM PENDLETON

BRAVES

186

CHARLIE BISHOP

ATHLETICS

187

JIM FRIDLEY

INDIANS

188

ANDY CAREY

YANKEES

189

RAYJABLONSKI

CARDINALS

190

DIXIE WALKER

CARDINALS

191

RALPH KINER

PIRATES

192

WALLYWESTLAKE

INDIANS

193

MIKE CLARK

CARDINALS

194

EDDIE KAZAK

TIGERS

195

ED McGHEE

ATHLETICS

196

BOB KEEGAN

WHITE SOX

197

DELCRANDALL

BRAVES

198

FORREST MAIN

PIRATES

199

MARION FRICANO

ATHLETICS

200

GORDON GOLDSBERRY

BROWNS

201

PAUL LA PALME

PIRATES

202

CARL SAWATSKI

CUBS

203

CLIFF FANNIN

BROWNS

204

DICKBOKELMANN

CARDINALS

205

VERN BENSON

CARDINALS

206

ED BAILEY

REDS

207

WHITEY FORD

YANKEES

208

JIM WILSON

BRAVES

209

JIM GREENGRASS

REDS

210

BOB CERV

YANKEES

211

J.W. PORTER

TIGERS

212

JACK DITTMER

BRAVES

213

RAY SCARBOROUGH

YANKEES

214

BILL BRUTON

BRAVES

215

GENE CONLEY

BRAVES

216

JIM HUGHES

DODGERS

217

MURRAY WALL

BRAVES

218

LES FUSSELMAN

CARDINALS

219

PETE RUNNELS

SENATORS

220

SATCHELL PAIGE

BROWNS

221

BOB MILLIKEN

DODGERS

222

VOCJANOWICZ

PIRATES

223

JOHN O'BRIEN

PIRATES

224

LOU SLEATER

SENATORS

225

BOBBY SCHANTZ

ATHLETICS

226

ED ERAUTT

REDS

227

MORRIS MARTIN

ATHLETICS

228

HALNEWSHOUSER

TIGERS

229

ROCKY KRSNICH

WHITE SOX

230

JOHNNY LINDELL

PIRATES

231

SOLLY HEMUS

CARDINALS

232

DICK KOKOS

BROWNS

233

ALABER

INDIANS

234

RAY MURRAY

ATHLETICS

235

JOHN HETKI

PIRATES

236

HARRY PERKOWSKI

REDS

237

CLARENCE PODBIELAN

REDS

238

CALHOGUE

PIRATES

239

JIM DELSING

TIGERS

240

FREDDIE MARSH

WHITE SOX

241

ALSIMA

SENATORS

242

CHARLIE 5ILVERA

YANKEES

243

CARLOS BERNIER

PIRATES

244

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

245

BILL NORMAN

BROWNS

246

ROY FACE

PIRATES

247

MIKESANDLOCK

PIRATES

248

GENE STEPHENS

RED SOX

249

ED O'BRIEN

PIRATES

250

BOB WILSON

WHITE SOX

251

SID HUDSON

RED SOX

252

HENRY FOILES

REDS

253

NOT ISSUED

254

PREACHER ROE

DODGERS

255

DIXIE HOWELL

DODGERS

256

LES PEDEN

SENATORS

257

BOB BOYD

WHITE SOX

258

JIM GILLIAM

DODGERS

259

roy McMillan

REDS

260

SAM CALDERONE

GIANTS

261

NOT ISSUED

262

BOB OLDIS

SENATORS

263

JOHNNY PODRES

DODGERS

264

GENE WOODLING

YANKEES

265

JACKIE JENSEN

SENATORS

266

BOB CAIN

BROWNS

267

NOT ISSUED

268

NOT ISSUED

269

DUANE PILLETTE

BROWNS

270

VERN STEPHENS

WHITE SOX

271

NOT ISSUED

272

BILL ANTONELLO

DODGERS

273

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

274

JOHN RIDDLE

CARDINALS

275

NOT ISSUED

276

KEN RAFFENSBERGER

REDS

277

DON LUND

TIGERS

278

WILLIE MIRANDA

BROWNS

279

JOE COLEMAN

ATHLETICS

280

MILT BOLLING

RED SOX

JACKIE ROBINSON

275

NM VALUE 800

SMOKEY BURGESS

ROYCAMPANELLA

ED MATHEWS

BOB FELLER

PEE WEE REESE

JOE BLACK

MICKEY MANTLE

1,200

BILLY MARTIN

104

YOGI BERRA

150

114

PHIL RIZZUTO

147

WARREN SPAHN

207

WHITEY FORD

220

SATCHELL PAIGE

225

244

WILLIE MAYS

750

258

JIM GILLIAM

263

JOHNNY PODRES

110

280

MILT BOLLING

NM VALUE 400

COMMON (1-220)

SUPER COMMON (1-220)

SEMI STAR (1-220)

BLACK LETTER BACKS (86-165)

NO DATA

COMMON (221-280)

SUPER COMMON (221-280)

SEMI STAR (221-280)

BASE SET (274)

3,750

ONE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

200

ONE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

250

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

300

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

350

ONE CENT PACK (LOW NUMBER)

2,500

FIVE CENT PACK (LOW NUMBER)

3,000

TEN CENT PACK (LOW # TCG)

6,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1954)

Issued As: Baseball ACC #: R414-8

Issue Date: 1954 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane, "6 pack" of six 5 cent packs

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 250 Number of Series: 3 or 4 Sheet Size: 1 00/200

pitcher ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Topps made a number of innovations for their 1954 baseball offering. Dealing with the new legal rules
concerning contractual rights afforded to the players, the Shorins tightened up their annual set to 250
subjects but compensated by signing Ted Williams to an exclusive contract. Bowman would be reduced
to a 224 card set and be forced to pull their own Williams card while Topps did not have to deal with any
gaps in their own offering.

Sharp Kodachrome color portraits were juxtaposed with a smaller black & white "news photo" action shot
against a solid, brightly colored background. Topps once again used contiguous color on one portion of
the card, so the sheets were printed with alternating rows of upside down cards, to allow for full color
bleeds at the top of each card. The news source in question was likely the New York Daily News, where
Sy Berger had cultivated a friendship with Dick Young, one of the New York beat sportswriters, who more
often than not would give Topps a plug in his Friday column.

Twenty seven cards from this series were reproduced in a foldout, paper format for the first issue of
Sports Illustrated magazine (August 16, 1954). The magazine's second issue (August 23, 1954) featured a
similar promotion which consisted solely of 27 New York Yankees cards, including twelve black and white
"creations" specifically composed for the magazine. The black and white subjects lacked the team logos
and fifteen of the sixteen Yankees cards actually issued by Topps that year made into the magazine as

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

number 13, Billy Martin, was not reproduced as he had been drafted into the military in 1954 and did not
play that season. See Sports Illustrated section hereinafter for 1954 checklists of those two inserts.

Series 1 (#1-50)

First series packs show the year of issue, which was removed as later series were issued; these closely
resemble the 1953 packs in design as Topps strove for a consistent look for their flagship set. First series
cards are found with either white or gray backs, the latter believed to have been issued in Canada,
although it is not a certainty. This gray back series helps to confirm the first 50 cards were issued at
once. Ted Williams started things off at #1 and this is the first year cards of star players generally ending
in "0", a neat touch courtesy of Sy Berger, although the practice was inconsistently applied after the first
100 cards or so and required a few more years to fully take hold.

Remaining Series

For years price guide editors thought the 1954 set was issued in six series:

Series Cards Series Cards

1-50

126-175

51-75

176-200

76-125

200-250

But two 25 card series does not make a whole lot of economic sense. A surviving 100 card half sheet
shows that Topps left at least two 25 consecutively numbered gaps after series 1 . Based upon that sheet
(which shows cards from 126-150, then 176-250), Series 2 could either have consisted of 50 or 100 cards
with the former far more likely as Topps would want to stretch their offering out over as long a period as
possible with only 250 cards. A 100 card additional series would just fill in the gaps (51-125, 151-175) from
the known half sheet but Topps doesn't seem likely to have hit the century mark for a single series so
early in their history. In either scenario the series would start with nos. 51-75 and then tack on the
numbers covering either 76-100 or 101-125 but it's all guesswork.

Depending upon the distribution of prior series, nos. 101-125 and 151-175 could have made up a fifty card
series 3, although 76-100 and 151-175 would also work. This staggering would yield a pattern of 50, 50,
50 then 100 cards to total the full 250, with the gaps keeping the kiddies buying more cards to find the
missing numbers as summer wore on. Under this scenario the second series would run from 51-75 with
the next 25 cards not distributed with the first 25. Some guides show a premium for the commons in the
51-75 range but this is not supported by current pricing trends.

Four released series would mean something like a mid July distribution for the last of the Topps cards for
the year. Glass printing plate "negatives" for 50 of the cards on the known sheet have survived and clearly
indicate Lord Baltimore Printing as the manufacturer. Ed & John O'Brien, the Pirates double play
combination, share the first Topps multi-player card while Ted Williams closes out the set with a second
card at #250, the first time a player appeared twice in a Topps baseball set.

1 954 packs may also have been distributed inside packages of Schafer Bread and possibly some other
brands as well.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture
Collection, http://net54baseball.com/ , 1948 Through 1986 Unopened Baseball Wax Packs, Boxes and
Wrappers Price Guide by Darren Prince, 2 nd ed., Author's Research)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1954) CHECKLIST

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

GUS ZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

MONTE IRVIN

GIANTS

HANKSAUER

CUBS

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

PETE RUNNELS

SENATORS

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDLEGS

BOBBY YOUNG

ORIOLES

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

PAUL SMITH

PIRATES

DELCRANDALL

BRAVES

BILLY MARTIN

YANKEES

PREACHER ROE

DODGERS

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

VICJANOWICZ

PIRATES

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

WALT DROPO

TIGERS

JOHNNY LIPON

ORIOLES

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

BOBBY SHANTZ

ATHLETICS

JIM GREENGRASS

REDLEGS

LUKE EASTER

INDIANS

GRANNY HAMNER

PHILLIES

HARVEY KUENN

TIGERS

RAY JABLONSKI

CARDINALS

FERRIS FAIN

WHITE SOX

PAULMINNER

CUBS

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

ED MATHEWS

BRAVES

JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN

CUBS

DUKE SNIDER

DODGERS

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

SENATORS

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

JUNIOR GILLIAM

DODGERS

HOYTWILHELM

GIANTS

WHITEY FORD

YANKEES

EDDIE STANKY

CARDINALS

SHERM LOLLAR

WHITE SOX

MELPARNELL

RED SOX

WILLIE JONES

PHILLIES

DON MUELLER

GIANTS

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

NED GARVER

TIGERS

RICHIE ASHBURN

PHILLIES

KEN RAFFENSBERGER

REDLEGS

ELLIS KINDER

RED SOX

BILLY HUNTER

ORIOLES

RAY MURRAY

ATHLETICS

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

JOHNNY LINDELL

PHILLIES

VIC POWER

ATHLETICS

JACK DITTMER

BRAVES

VERN STEPHENS

ORIOLES

PHIL CAVARRETTA

CUBS

WILLIE MIRANDA

YANKEES

LUIS ALOMA

WHITE SOX

BOB WILSON

WHITE SOX

GENE CONLEY

BRAVES

FRANK BAUMHOLTZ

CUBS

BOB CAIN

ATHLETICS

EDDIE ROBINSON

YANKEES

JOHNNY PESKY

TIGERS

HANK THOMPSON

GIANTS

BOB SWIFT

TIGERS

TED LEPCIO

RED SOX

JIM WILLIS

CUBS

SAMMY CALDERONE

BRAVES

BUD PODBIELAN

REDLEGS

LARRY DOBY

INDIANS

FRANK SMITH

REDLEGS

PRESTON WARD

PIRATES

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

SENATORS

BILL TAYLOR

GIANTS

FRED HANEY

PIRATES

BOB SCHEFFING

CUBS

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

TED KAZANSKI

PHILLIES

ANDYPAFKO

BRAVES

JACKIE JENSEN

RED SOX

DAVE HOSKINS

INDIANS

MILT BOLLING

RED SOX

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

DICK COLE

PIRATES

BOBTURLEY

ORIOLES

BILLY HERMAN

PIRATES

ROY FACE

PIRATES

MATT BATTS

TIGERS

HOWIE POLLET

CUBS

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

BOB OLDIS

SENATORS

WALLY WESTLAKE

INDIANS

SID HUDSON

RED SOX

ERNIE BANKS

CUBS

HAL RICE

PIRATES

CHARLIE SILVERA

YANKEES

JERRY LANE

SENATORS

JOE BLACK

DODGERS

BOB HOFMAN

GIANTS

100

BOB KEEGAN

WHITE SOX

101

GENE WOODLING

YANKEES

102

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

103

JIM LEMON

INDIANS

104

MIKE SAN DLOCK

PHILLIES

105

ANDY CAREY

YANKEES

106

DICK KOKOS

ORIOLES

107

DUANE PILLETTE

ORIOLES

108

THORNTON KIPPER

PHILLIES

109

BILL BRUTON

BRAVES

110

HARRY DORISH

WHITE SOX

111

JIM DELSING

TIGERS

112

BILL RENNA

ATHLETICS

113

BOB BOYD

WHITE SOX

114

DEAN STONE

SENATORS

115

"RIP" REPULSKI

CARDINALS

116

STEVE BILKO

CARDINALS

117

SOLLY HEMUS

CARDINALS

118

CARLSCHEIB

ATHLETICS

119

JOHNNY ANTONELLI

GIANTS

120

ROY MCMILLAN

REDLEGS

121

CLEM LABINE

DODGERS

122

JOHNNY LOGAN

BRAVES

123

BOBBY ADAMS

REDLEGS

124

MARION FRICANO

ATHLETICS

125

HARRY PERKOWSKI

REDLEGS

126

BEN WADE

DODGERS

127

STEVE O'NEILL

PHILLIES

128

HENRY AARON

BRAVES

129

FORREST JACOBS

ATHLETICS

130

HANK BAUER

YANKEES

131

RENO BERTOIA

TIGERS

132

TOM LASORDA

DODGERS

133

DEL BAKER

RED SOX

134

CAL HOGUE

PIRATES

135

JOE PRESKO

CARDINALS

136

CONNIE RYAN

REDLEGS

137

WALLY MOON

CARDINALS

138

BOB BORKOWSKI

REDLEGS

139

ED & JOHN O'BRIEN

PIRATES

140

TOM WRIGHT

SENATORS

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1954) CHECKLIST

141

JOE JAY

BRAVES

142

TOM POHOLSKY

CARDINALS

143

ROLLIE HEMSLEY

ATHLETICS

144

BILLWERLE

RED SOX

145

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

146

DON JOHNSON

WHITE SOX

147

JOHN RIDDLE

CARDINALS

148

BOB TRICE

ATHLETICS

149

JIM ROBERTSON

ATHLETICS

150

DICK KRYHOSKI

ORIOLES

151

ALEX GRAMMAS

CARDINALS

152

MIKE BLYZKA

ORIOLES

153

RUBE WALKER

DODGERS

154

MIKE FORNIELES

WHITE SOX

155

BOB KENNEDY

INDIANS

156

JOE COLEMAN

ORIOLES

157

DON LENHARDT

ORIOLES

158

"PEANUTS" LOWREY

CARDINALS

159

DAVE PHILLEY

INDIANS

160

"RED" KRESS

INDIANS

161

JOHN HETKI

PIRATES

162

HERMAN WEHMEIER

REDLEGS

163

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

164

STU MILLER

CARDINALS

165

JIM PENDELTON

BRAVES

166

JOHNNY PODRES

DODGERS

167

DON LUND

TIGERS

168

MORRIE MARTIN

ATHLETICS

169

JIM HUGHES

DODGERS

170

JIM RHODES

GIANTS

171

LEO KIELY

RED SOX

172

HAL BROWN

RED SOX

173

JACK HARSHMANN

WHITE SOX

174

TOM QUALTERS

PHILLIES

175

FRANK LEJA

YANKEES

176

BOB KEELY

BRAVES

177

BOB MILLIKEN

DODGERS

178

BILLGYLNN

INDIANS

179

GAIR ALLIE

PIRATES

180

WES WESTRUM

GIANTS

181

MEL ROACH

BRAVES

182

CHUCK HARMON

REDLEGS

183

EARLE COMBS

PHILLIES

184

ED BAILEY

REDLEGS

185

CHUCK STOBBS

SENATORS

186

KARL OLSON

RED SOX

187

"HEINIE" MANUSH

SENATORS

188

DAVE JOLLY

BRAVES

189

BOB ROSS

SENATORS

190

RAY HERBERT

TIGERS

191

DICK SCHOFIELD

CARDINALS

192

"COT" DEAL

CARDINALS

193

JOHNNY HOPP

TIGERS

194

BILLSARNI

CARDINALS

195

BILLCONSOLO

RED SOX

196

STAN JOK

PHILLIES

197

"SCHOOLBOY" ROWE

TIGERS

198

CARL SAWATSKI

WHITE SOX

199

"ROCKY" NELSON

INDIANS

200

LARRY JANSEN

GIANTS

201

AL KALINE

TIGERS

202

BOB PURKEY

PIRATES

203

HARRY BRECHEEN

ORIOLES

204

ANGELL SCULL

SENATORS

205

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

206

RAY CRONE

BRAVES

207

TOM OLIVER

ORIOLES

208

GRADY HATTON

REDLEGS

209

CHARLIE THOMPSON

DODGERS

210

BOB BUHL

BRAVES

211

DON HOAK

DODGERS

212

MICKEY MICELOTTA

PHILLIES

213

JOHN FITZPATRICK

PIRATES

214

ARNOLD PORTOCARRERO

ATHLETICS

215

ED McGHEE

ATHLETICS

216

ALSIMA

WHITE SOX

217

PAUL SCHREIBER

RED SOX

218

FRED MARSH

WHITE SOX

219

CHARLIE KRESS

TIGERS

220

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

221

DICK BRODOWSKI

RED SOX

222

BILL WILSON

WHITE SOX

223

JOE HAYNES

SENATORS

224

DICKWEIK

TIGERS

225

DON LIDDLE

GIANTS

226

JEHOSIE HEARD

ORIOLES

227

BUSTER MILLS

RED SOX

228

GENE HERMANSKI

PIRATES

229

BOB TALBOT

CUBS

230

BOB KUZAVA

YANKEES

231

ROY SMALLEY

BRAVES

232

LOULIMMER

ATHLETICS

233

AUGIE GALAN

ATHLETICS

234

JERRY LYNCH

PIRATES

235

VERN LAW

PIRATES

236

PAUL PENSON

PHILLIES

237

MIKE RYBA

CARDINALS

238

ALABER

TIGERS

239

BILL SKOWRON

YANKEES

240

SAM MELE

ORIOLES

241

BOB MILLER

TIGERS

242

CURT ROBERTS

PIRATES

243

RAY BLADES

CUBS

244

LEROY WHEAT

ATHLETICS

245

ROY SIEVERS

SENATORS

246

HOWIE FOX

ORIOLES

247

EDDIE MAYO

PHILLIES

248

AL SMITH

INDIANS

249

WILMER MIZELL

CARDINALS

250

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

TED WILLIAMS

175

NM VALUE 800|

JACKIE ROBINSON

125

PHIL RIZZUTO

WARREN SPAHN

ED MATHEWS

DUKE SNIDER

WHITEY FORD

YOGI BERRA

WILLIE MAYS

200

ERNIE BANKS

400

128

HENRY AARON

700

132

TOM LASORDA

139

ED & JOHN O'BRIEN

225

250

TED WILLIAMS

225

NM VALUE 850|

COMMON (1-250)

SUPER COMMON (1-250)

SEMI STAR (1-250)

BASE SET (250)

2,750

ONE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

100

ONE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

150

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

125

ONE CENT PACK (DATED)

1,500

ONE CENT PACK (UNDATED)

1,000

FIVE CENT PACK (DATED)

2,500

FIVE CENT PACK (UNDATED)

2,000

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

6,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1955)

Issued As: Baseball ACC #: R414-9

Issue Date: 1955 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent (7 cards), 10 cent clear cellophane, "6 pack" of six 5 cent packs

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 206 (Skip numbered to 210) Number of Series: 3? Sheet Size: 110/220

' Tfi3Q!G"lg&ESI

The Doogers took a big step in
bolstering their mound corps
when they signed Sandy for a
large bonus last season. The
Height: 6'2" former University of Cincinnati
Weight: 2 tQ hurler compiled a brilliant Strike-
Throws: Left out record at coilege. In 30 inn-
Bats: Right ings at Cincinnati, he struck out
58 men and posted 34 SO's in
Brooklyn, N. Y. 2 consecutive games. In high
Bom: school, Sandy was a basketball

Dec. 30, 1935 and baseball star.

(SaSESALl WfiS <=IR$T

NEW -yOUK.

ami =SNW

MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHING RECO

r a .

Gaines

Innings

Won | Lost | Pet, | Hits J Runs | ER

Walks

Yeai

(NOT IN ORGANIZED BASEBALL)

Life [

1 I 1 1 1

Topps moved to a larger 110 card half/220 card full sheet size for their 1955 baseball cards but it would be
their smallest ever regular issue baseball set. This sheet retooling would allow a small reduction in
production costs no doubt but Topps was down to a mere 210 planned cards in 1955, while Bowman
would offer almost 100 cards more than they had in 1954. The 1955 baseball cards were Bowman's last
real attempt at keeping their line intact and company afloat but the relentless assault from Topps could
not be stopped. The Topps cards, their first horizontally formatted baseball set, offered portraits once
again (some repeated from 1954) along with secondary action shots, this time in color and the by now
ubiquitous team logos.

Color was the predominant theme in 1955. Bowman used a "Color TV" motif while Topps cards blazed in
bright hues, all accented by a shinier gloss than had been used previously. The backs featured text, a
cartoon and the usual vitals and statistics. In addition, Topps would, for the first time, offer a secondary
set, called Double Header, to have more product competing against Bowman despite their limited
selection of players. Four cards would have to be pulled from the last series, as new player contracts
were again litigated, or at least contested, by Bowman.

Series 1 (#1-110?)

First series packs once again show the year of issue, although a new design was used, with a smaller
baseball design and "TOPPS" displayed a bit more prominently. The lack of variations and consistent use
of card stock makes the identification of the first two series in 1955 difficult but a partial uncut sheet
reveals one possible answer. This twenty five card partial sheet contains cards ranging from #1 to #108,
while another quadrant shows the five rows above these, so the full 10 card column (in a horizontal

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

alignment) for five rows is seemingly known. However, as Topps' antics showed in 1954, funny things
could happen on the press sheets.

A poorly resolved picture of a full 110 card first series sheet also exists but it is impossible to identify all
the cards on it, although the text accompanying the picture (from a 1993 Robert Edward Auctions
newsprint catalog) indicates some double prints and there is enough resolution to see two rows of ten are
repeated. There is a major star though, who appears not twice but thrice and is indicated in the auction
description as being a triple print. Close examination of the 110 card sheet reveals this is the case, with
card # 51 of Jim Hughes pulled off the sheet (based upon the "quadrant array") and replaced with a third
Ted Williams card. This means that the 25 card quadrants differ from those in ostensibly the same array
on another part of the 110 card sheet. Either this was done deliberately or Topps had to pull some players
very early in the run due to contractual problems.

At least two other players appear out of sequence on the 110 card sheet and one, #67 Wally Moon, looks
like he appears four times. Unlike most other Topps press sheets of the era, the extra cards are randomly
placed on the sheet, as opposed to the normal process of simply replicating full rows for any overprints.

Some older references detail series runs from 51-90 and then skip ten numbers ahead to 100-109 (an odd
landing place and which would theoretically extend to #110 but should start instead at #101) and 91-99
(which should go to #100) and then after another skipping often consecutive numbers, from 110-160.
Indeed the partial sheet has a gap from #88-101, the only such gap on the sheet spanning at least ten
unencumbered, consecutive numbers whose last digit could start with a "1" and end with a "0". Given the
small sample size it is not certain the #91-100 run came on another sheet but some deliberate holdouts
from Topps are entirely possible. Unlike the 25 card gap in 1954, a 10 card gap in 1955 would be much
less obvious and it does appear Topps "ventilated" the card numbering on the press sheets.

Sports Illustrated once again issued Topps cards in two consecutive issues. This time they were only in 8
card groups appearing in the magazine in consecutive weeks: April 11 & 18, with one player from each NL
team shown in the first issue and one from each AL team in the second. As was the case a year earlier,
there does not seem to be a correlation between the print arrays of the Sports Illustrated versions and the
issued cards.

To further confuse things, at least 23 gummed stamps are known featuring 1955 obverses but only two of
these subjects appear in Sports Illustrated: #56 Jablonski and # 90 Spooner, both appearing on the NL
sheet. This indicates a further lack of correlation between the SI cards and the press sheets and the SI
cards with the stamps. There is a strong correlation between the stamps and the press sheet though as
all 23 identified stamp subjects appear within four adjacent columns of the known uncut quadrants. The
stamps were never released to the public and may all have a population of one, or two at the most.

Then there is the case of Double Header, which are at length in their own section but which were all
drawn from the secondary "action" photos appearing on the regular 1955 cards. Most of these are derived
from the first 148 cards of the regular issue (there are 66 Double Headers featuring 132 players) but one is
taken from regular issue #202 (Jim Owens) and another features a player not in the regular issue (John
Hetki of the Pirates).

Series 2? (#111-160?)

This could actually have been the third series of the year, depending on how the prior 110 cards were
released and may (or may not) include 10 or 20 numbers from an earlier press sheet. Cards #151-160 are

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

portrayed in many guides as being a little more difficult than the others in the series but there is no
pricing evidence to bear this out and positively identifying double prints is currently impossible.

Series 3? (#161-210)

The 1955 high numbers have four cards that were withdrawn from distribution and have never been
identified except by number: 175, 186, 203 and 209. These were probably newly signed players that also
had a Bowman contract that took precedence and the timing of this indicates Topps and Bowman were
still engaged in legal wrangling well into 1955. It is alleged by Beckett that nos. 170, 172, 184 and 188
were double printed to fill in for the four missing numbers. If true, this means the players were identified
early enough to have been changed out no later than the final proofing process and were not pulled after
printing and cutting as had been the case in 1953.

Logic dictates there should be 20 other overprinted cards in this series, which was printed in somewhat
lesser quantity than the first 160 cards, although it is by no means difficult. Prices for the high numbers
are in some cases quite close to those in the earlier series. Duke Snider ends the series at #210, this is a
condition sensitive card of a popular player and Brooklyn Dodger.

See Sports Illustrated section hereinafter for 1955 checklists of those two inserts (also identified on 1955
checklist on following pages.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards &
Collectibles, Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture Collection, http://net54baseball.com/ , 1948
Through 1986 Unopened Baseball Wax Packs, Boxes and Wrappers Price Guide by Darren Prince, 2 nd ed.,
Author's Research)

BASEBALL

7 iumni (an ■ k«ii mat

■ DGLRLI

3jJ Jm

J .' Iff) -

t }

mm M m,>

1955 Baseball and Double Header Salesman's Sample (courtesy Robert Edward Auctions)

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1955) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

"DUSTY" RHODES

GIANTS

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

ART FOWLER

REDLEGS

AL KALINE

TIGERS

JIM GILLIAM

DODGERS

STAN HACK

CUBS

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

HAL SMITH

ORIOLES

BOB MILLER

TIGERS

BOB KEEGAN

WHITE SOX

FERRIS FAIN

TIGERS

"JAKE" THIES

PIRATES

FRED MARSH

ORIOLES

JIM FINIGAN

ATHLETICS

JIM PENDELTON

BRAVES

ROYSIEVERS

NATIONALS

BOBBY HOFMAN

GIANTS

RUSS KEMMERER

RED SOX

BILLY HERMAN

DODGERS

ANDY CAREY

YANKEES

ALEX GRAMMAS

CARDINALS

BILLSKOWRON

YANKEES

JACK PARKS

BRAVES

HAL NEWHOUSER

INDIANS

JOHNNY PODRES

DODGERS

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

BILLY GARDNER

GIANTS

ERNIE BANKS

CUBS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

PHILLIES

VIC POWER

ATHLETICS

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

ED McGHEE

WHITE SOX

TOM QUALTERS

PHILLIES

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

NATIONALS

DAVE JOLLY

BRAVES

LEO KIELY

RED SOX

JOE CUNNINGHAM

CARDINALS

BOB TURLEY

YANKEES

BILL GLYNN

INDIANS

DON HOAK

DODGERS

CHUCK STOBBS

NATIONALS

"WINDY" McCALL

GIANTS

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

"CORKY" VALENTINE

REDLEGS

HANKSAUER

CUBS

TED KAZANSKI

PHILLIES

HANK AARON

BRAVES

BOB KENNEDY

ORIOLES

J.W. PORTER

TIGERS

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

JIM HUGHES

DODGERS

BILLTREMEL

CUBS

BILL TAYLOR

GIANTS

LOU LIMMER

ATHLETICS

"RIP" REPULSKI

CARDINALS

RAYJABLONSKI

REDLEGS

BILLY O'DELL

ORIOLES

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

GAIR ALLIE

PIRATES

DEAN STONE

NATIONALS

STAMPS

SPORTS ILL.

DOUBLE HDR. HOCUS FOCUS

YES

129

116

50
33

109

61
32

131

127

108

38
64

26
44
88

25
20

125

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1955) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

"SPOOK" JACOBS

ATHLETICS

THORNTON KIPPER

PHILLIES

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

GUS TRIANDOS

ORIOLES

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

RON JACKSON

WHITE SOX

WALLY MOON

CARDINALS

JIM DAVIS

CUBS

ED BAILEY

REDLEGS

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

KARL OLSON

RED SOX

JACK SHEPARD

PIRATES

BOB BORKOWSKI

REDLEGS

SANDY AMOROS

DODGERS

HOWIE POLLET

CUBS

ARNOLD PORTOCARRERO

ATHLETICS

GORDON JONES

CARDINALS

DANNY SCHELL

PHILLIES

BOB GRIM

YANKEES

GENECONLEY

BRAVES

CHUCK HARMON

REDLEGS

TOM BREWER

RED SOX

CAMILO PASCUAL

NATIONALS

DON MOSSI

INDIANS

BILL WILSON

ATHLETICS

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

BOB SKINNER

PIRATES

JOE FRAZIER

CARDINALS

KARLSPOONER

DODGERS

MILT BOLLING

RED SOX

DON ZIMMER

DODGERS

STEVE BILKO

CUBS

RENO BERTOIA

TIGERS

PRESTON WARD

PIRATES

CHARLIE BISHOP

ATHLETICS

CARLOS PAULA

NATIONALS

JOHNNY RIDDLE

CARDINALS

FRANK LEJA

YANKEES

100

MONTE IRVIN

GIANTS

101

JOHNNY GRAY

ATHLETICS

102

WALLY WESTLAKE

INDIANS

103

CHARLIE WHITE

BRAVES

104

JACK HARSHMAN

WHITE SOX

105

CHUCK DIERING

ORIOLES

106

FRANK SULLIVAN

RED SOX

107

CURT ROBERTS

PIRATES

108

"RUBE" WALKER

DODGERS

109

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

110

GUS ZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

111

BOB MILLIKEN

DODGERS

112

NELSON KING

PIRATES

113

HARRY BRECHEEN

ORIOLES

114

LOU ORTIZ

PHILLIES

115

ELLIS KINDER

RED SOX

116

TOM HURD

RED SOX

117

MEL ROACH

BRAVES

118

BOB PURKEY

PIRATES

119

BOB LENNON

GIANTS

120

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDLEGS

STAMPS SPORTS ILL.

DOUBLE HDR. HOCUS FOCUS

YES

47
10

113

28
30

54
31

104

101

117

66
2

22
11

118

120

114

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1955) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

121

BILLRENNA

ATHLETICS

122

CARL SAWATSKI

WHITE SOX

123

"SANDY" KOUFAX

DODGERS

124

HARMON KILLEBREW

NATIONALS

125

KEN BOYER

CARDINALS

126

DICK HALL

PIRATES

127

DALE LONG

PIRATES

128

TED LEPCIO

RED SOX

129

ELVIN TAPPE

CUBS

130

MAYO SMITH

PHILLIES

131

GRADY HATTON

RED SOX

132

BOB TRICE

ATHLETICS

133

DAVE HOSKINS

INDIANS

134

JOE JAY

BRAVES

135

JOHNNY O'BRIEN

PIRATES

136

"BUNKY" STEWART

NATIONALS

137

HARRY ELLIOTT

CARDINALS

138

RAY HERBERT

TIGERS

139

STEVE KRALY

YANKEES

140

MELPARNELL

RED SOX

141

TOM WRIGHT

NATIONALS

142

JERRY LYNCH

PIRATES

143

DICK SCHOFIELD

CARDINALS

144

JOE AMALFITANO

GIANTS

145

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

146

DICK DONOVAN

WHITE SOX

147

LAURIN PEPPER

PIRATES

148

HAL BROWN

RED SOX

149

RAY CRONE

BRAVES

150

MIKE HIGGINS

RED SOX

151

"RED" KRESS

INDIANS

152

HARRY AGGAN IS

RED SOX

153

"BUD" PODBIELAN

REDLEGS

154

WILLIE MIRANDA

ORIOLES

155

ED MATHEWS

BRAVES

156

JOE BLACK

DODGERS

157

BOB MILLER

PHILLIES

158

TOM CARROLL

YANKEES

159

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

NATIONALS

160

RAY NARLESKI

INDIANS

161

CHUCK TANNER

BRAVES

162

JOE COLEMAN

ORIOLES

163

FAYE THRONEBERRY

RED SOX

164

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

PIRATES

165

DON JOHNSON

ORIOLES

166

HANK BAUER

YANKEES

167

TOM CASAGRANDE

PHILLIES

168

DUANE PILLETTE

ORIOLES

169

BOB OLDIS

NATIONALS

170

JIM PEARCE

REDLEGS

171

DICK BRODOWSKI

RED SOX

172

FRANK BAUMHOLTZ

CUBS

173

BOB KLINE

NATIONALS

174

RUDY MINARCIN

REDLEGS

175

NOT ISSUED

176

NORM ZAUCHIN

RED SOX

177

JIM ROBERTSON

ATHLETICS

178

BOBBY ADAMS

REDLEGS

179

JIM BOLGER

CUBS

180

CLEM LABINE

DODGERS

DOUBLE HDR. HOCUS FOCUS

111

124
77

119

100

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1955) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

181

roy McMillan

REDLEGS

182

HUMBERTO ROBINSON

BRAVES

183

TONY JACOBS

CARDINALS

184

HARRY PERKOWSKI

CUBS

185

DON FERRARESE

ORIOLES

186

NOT ISSUED

187

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

188

CHARLIE SILVERA

YANKEES

189

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

190

GENE WOODLING

ORIOLES

191

ED STANKY

CARDINALS

192

JIM DELSING

TIGERS

193

JOHNNY SAIN

YANKEES

194

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

195

ED ROEBUCK

DODGERS

196

GALE WADE

CUBS

197

AL SMITH

INDIANS

198

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

199

BERTHAMRIC

DODGERS

200

JACK JENSEN

RED SOX

201

SHERM LOLLAR

WHITE SOX

202

JIM OWENS

PHILLIES

203

NOT ISSUED

204

FRANK SMITH

CARDINALS

205

GENE FREESE

PIRATES

206

PETE DALEY

RED SOX

207

BILL CONSOLO

RED SOX

208

RAY MOORE

ORIOLES

209

NOT ISSUED

210

DUKE SNIDER

DODGERS

STAMPS

SPORTS ILL.

DOUBLE HDR. HOCUS FOCUS

122

"DUSTY" RHODES

NM VALUE 75 |

TED WILLIAMS

150

ALKALINE

ERNIE BANKS

WARREN SPAHN

HANK AARON

150

JACKIE ROBINSON

175

DONZIMMER

123

"SANDY" KOUFAX

375

124

HARMON KILLEBREW

125

152

HARRY AGGANIS

155

ED MATHEWS

164

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

850

187

GIL HODGES

189

PHIL RIZZUTO

194

WILLIE MAYS

175

198

YOGI BERRA

100

210

DUKE SNIDER

150

NM VALUE 550 |

COMMON (1-160)

SUPER COMMON (1-160)

SEMI STAR (1-160)

COMMON (161-210)

SUPER COMMON (161-210)

SEMI STAR (161-210)

N/A

BASE SET (206)

2,250

ONE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

ONE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (DATED)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (UNDATED)

ONE CENT PACK (DATED)

650

ONE CENT PACK (UNDATED)

525

FIVE CENT PACK (DATED)

1,250

FIVE CENT PACK (UNDATED)

1,000

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

101

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DOUBLE HEADER

Issued As: Double Header ACC #: R414-10

Issue Date: 1955

Size: 3" x 2 1/16", 76 x 66.5 mm (closed); 4 7/8" x 2 1/16", 124 x 52 mm (opened)

Packaging: 1 cent Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 66 (1 32 subjects) Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

Camilo PASCUAL

pilcbsr. Wiiliinglnn Nals
Camilo had his busiest
season in '54 when he
made the big jump from
Class B ball right into Hie
Majors. He led the Nats
with the most games
pitched last year.

INNINGS

us*

ll?

306

WON

LOST

PC7

.6ZZ

E-ft

106

S.O.

1SB

MUQ

165

■

4.24

3JU

'Wnor Ltaj

I ilrlin

F.nrd

HankSAUER Camilo PASCUAL

I. Cltrcj£D tiilis
Hank had a great year in
"U h hitting his ptak in
Homers and R.&J.'s. One
ot the top power hitters
in baseball, he was the
W.L/s Most VaJuablE Play
ei in- 52. rffSi'il

pllckir, WnkJiflM Mill
Camilo 'had his busiest

season m '54 wftsn he
made the big jump tram
Class B bail right into the

Majors He led the Nats
with pie most games

I.IUIIJ

WHE3

m i 1017

ATBAI

SZD

3755

RIMS

WIS

a 1 ion

H.R.

wr %•!

?£8

pitched 1
INhlMiS

st year.

[_YFjUJ

Llfl*
23

[ LOST

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Itert

Double Header was the first supplemental baseball set sold by Topps, the beginning of a long line of such
products. The 66 cards, each of which featured two illustrated subjects and two numbers, were designed
to be folded over, as a full length illustration of the player on the front included a hinged flap with the
player's upper torso and head coupled with a similar upper torso and head on the reverse (upside down
until flipped). This flap would be flipped over, forming a shorter card combining the upper torso part of the
reverse with the lower portion of the front subject. The illustrations look hastily done in many instances,
although some show quite a lot of detail. Many of the "fits" are poorly executed and the set seems like it
was rushed into production. Patterned after the T201 Mecca Double Folders set, the idea for this issue
may have come from one of the Shorin boys, who would have been kids or young teens when that set was
marketed in 1911. Both sets also contained the player's statistics (and the card numbers) on the reverse,
below the secondary pose, although the Topps version of these was far more detailed.

The cards that provided the subjects for Double Header are almost all grouped in the first 148 cards of the
regular issue for the year. The only two exceptions are #122 Jim Owens (#202 in the regular set but
whose pose there is not even close to his Double Header illustration) and #62 John Hetki, who did not
appear in the 1955 Baseball issue. Owens made his big league debut in April of 1955 but Hetki last played
with the Pirates in September of 1954. The odd placement of these two subjects suggests: a problem with
matching the fronts and backs of their respective Double Header cards; or a contractual issue requiring

102

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

two subjects to be withdrawn and replaced with others; or that the Double Header cards were prepared in
advance of the regular issue.

According to any and all previous hobby references, the illustrations used for Double Header were taken
from the secondary artwork on the front of the regular issue 1955 baseball cards. A close examination
though, shows this is only partially correct and primarily relates to the fronts of the opened cards, where
56 of 66 are solid matches.

Many of the backs do not match or only the upper torso is taken from the secondary regular issue picture.
About a half dozen of the back flap illustrations have a major body part rearranged to fit the "canvas" and
many of them feature players in a crouched position, the better to fit the allotted space for the shorter,
transformed version of the card. Only about a dozen "back subjects" can be said to truly match their
regular card counterparts. Another 20 or so match on the upper torso/head printed on the back of the
card but display mismatched lower torsos when folded over in comparison to their regular card. And fully
half the back subjects do not match the secondary poses on the 1955 baseball cards at all, although some
of these bear a nodding resemblance but are clearly redrawn.

The following Double Header fronts do not match their regular issue counterparts:

9 Porter 93 Sawatski

33 Pendleton 95 Jolly

53 Herman 103 Sauer

69 Williams 113 Boone

87 Kennedy 115 Long

There may be some small features slightly changed, such as the minor tilt of a head or hand but back
subjects that are matches with their 1955 regular issue cards number only a dozen:

2 Diering 36 Carey

6 Jones 40 Thies

10 Kipper 68 Parks

12 Portocarrero 94 Tappe

28 Davis 100 Groat

30 Bailey 108 Qualters

The most egregious non-matching pose belongs to #115 Dale Long, who was a first baseman in real life
but depicted in catcher's gear in Double Header, despite never having played the position in the majors at
that point. He is also identified as a first baseman in the set, all the more strange.

The cards, when properly arranged side-by-side in their opened state, form various panoramic ballpark
scenes, stretching over as many as 8 cards (or as few as 2). There are 13 different stadium views in the
set, with two of them showing night scenes. The ballpark scenes primarily depict the three New York City
fields (there is repetition to a degree), although some artistic license was taken.

Off centered cards are common in this set and the backs are particularly prone to miscuts where a tiny
sliver of the top of a flap from another card often shows along the bottom edge. The flap hinges also wear
excessively and no doubt many have separated over the years, further diminishing supply of an issue
already made tough due to penny packs being the sole initial means of sale. Cards that never had the
hinge embossed also exist and command a premium.

The list of missing regular issue subjects primarily, but not exclusively, consists of players who debuted in
1954 or 1955. Many of these were caught in the revived "bonus baby" pool when the Bonus Rule was
reinstated for the 1953 season as players who signed with big league clubs and received in excess of
$4,000 in bonus money had to remain on the big league team's roster for two seasons before they could be

103

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

demoted or traded. This led to many green players clogging the big league rosters during this era,
something that assuredly worked in favor of Topps in terms of players they could sign.

The regular issue subjects in the first 150 cards that are not replicated in Double Header are:

94 Reno Bertoia, debuted 1953

97 Carolos Paula , debuted September 1954

98 Johnny Riddle, coach

99 Frank Leja, debuted 1954
112 Nelson King, debuted 1954
117 Mel Roach, debuted 1953

119 Bob Lennon, debuted September 1954

123 Sandy Koufax, debuted June 1955

125 Ken Boyer, debuted April 1955

130 Mayo Smith, manager who debuted in April 1955

134 Joe Jay, debuted 1953

135 Johnny O'Brien, debuted 1953
137 Harry Elliott, debuted 1953

139 Steve Kraly, debuted 1953 (his only year in the bigs)

143 Dick Schofield, debuted 1953

144 Joe Amalfitano, debuted 1954

146 Dick Donovan, debuted 1950 (see below)

147 Laurin Pepper, debuted 1954

149 Ray Crone, debuted 1954

150 Mike Higgins, manager who debuted in April 1955

Dick Donovan, who debuted in 1950 had spent three years shuttling between the Boston Braves and the
minors when he was outrighted in early 1953 to the Toledo Mud Hens. He refused to report and demanded
a trade; the Braves responded coolly and he did not pitch at all the entire 1953 season. He was finally sent
to the Detroit Tigers organization, mostly appearing in the minors with a scant two games at the major
league level in 1954, before being traded to the White Sox for 1955. Donovan's first card in any set was
his 1955 Topps regular version and it seems quite strange he would not have been a Topps target in 1951-
52 nor appear in the Double Header issue.

Topps may not have had suitable artwork to match up for the subjects who missed the Double Header cut,
although given how they changed so many of the poses from the regular issue some deletions seem a bit
odd. Perhaps the timing of finished artwork for the regular set determined the final cut; look at how many
deletions there are starting at #94 (with none lower).

A sample Double Header card was affixed to the regular issue salesman's samples for 1955 in order to
promote the product. The accompanying sales pitch stressed the need for the retailer to sell both of
Topps' one cent baseball issues (the other being the regular issue cards) so the market for these cards
seems more rural than urban, possibly due to the need to stretch out their baseball line due to their very
short set of baseball cards in 1955. Two players on one card also seems like a bonus for the ultimate
consumer, something Topps always liked to promote as extra value for the money.

For ease of identification, each player is shown separately in the checklist. A card always features
consecutive numbering, with the main (front) subject bearing an odd number and the secondary (back)
subject being assigned an even one.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards &
Collectibles, http://net54baseball.com/ , http://www.baseball-reference.com/ . Baseball Cards Magazine Aug.
1 984 - "Two Cards for the Price of One" by Bill Bossert, Author's Research)

104

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DOUBLE HEADER CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

CHUCK DIERING

ORIOLES

MONTE IRVIN

GIANTS

RUSS KEMMERER

RED SOX

TED KAZANSKI

PHILLIES

GORDON JONES

CARDINALS

BILL TAYLOR

GIANTS

BILLY O'DELL

ORIOLES

J.W. PORTER

TIGERS

THORNTON KIPPER

PHILLIES

CURT ROBERTS

PIRATES

ARNOLD PORTOCARRERO

ATHLETICS

WALLYWESTLAKE

INDIANS

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

"RUBE" WALKER

DODGERS

LOU LIMMER

ATHLETICS

DEAN STONE

NATIONALS

CHARLIE WHITE

BRAVES

KARLSPOONER

DODGERS

JIM HUGHES

DODGERS

BILL SKOWRON

YANKEES

FRANK SULLIVAN

RED SOX

JACK SHEPARD

PIRATES

STAN HACK

CUBS

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

DON HOAK

DODGERS

"DUSTY" RHODES

GIANTS

JIM DAVIS

CUBS

VIC POWER

ATHLETICS

ED BAILEY

REDLEGS

HOWIE POLLET

CUBS

ERNIE BANKS

CUBS

JIM PENDELTON

BRAVES

GENE CONLEY

BRAVES

KARL OLSON

RED SOX

ANDY CAREY

YANKEES

WALLY MOON

CARDINALS

JOE CUNNINGHAM

CARDINALS

FRED MARSH

ORIOLES

"JAKE" THIES

PIRATES

ED LOPAT

YANKEES

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

LEO KIELY

RED SOX

CHUCK STOBBS

NATIONALS

AL KALINE

TIGERS j

"CORKY" VALENTINE

REDLEGS

"SPOOK" JACOBS

ATHLETICS

JOHNNY GRAY

ATHLETICS

RON JACKSON

WHITE SOX

JIM FINIGAN

ATHLETICS

RAYJABLONSKI

REDLEGS

BOB KEEGAN

WHITE SOX

BILLY HERMAN

DODGERS

SANDY AMOROS

DODGERS

CHUCK HARMON

REDLEGS

BOB SKINNER

PIRATES

DICK HALL

PIRATES

BOB GRIM

YANKEES

BILLY GLYNN

INDIANS

BOB MILLER

TIGERS

BILLY GARDNER

GIANTS

JOHN HETKI

PIRATES

BOB BORKOWSKI

REDLEGS

BOB TURLEY

YANKEES

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

JACK HARSHMAN

WHITE SOX

REGULAR SET B

70
105
100

62
107

77
102

87
108

60
103

22
106

73
6

40
1

12
109

61
101

88
126

27
NONE

63
104

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

JACK PARKS

BRAVES

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

HAL SMITH

ORIOLES

GAIR ALLIE

PIRATES

GRADY HATTON

RED SOX

JERRY LYNCH

PIRATES

HARRY BRECHEEN

ORIOLES

TOM WRIGHT

NATIONALS

"BUNKY" STEWART

NATIONALS

DAVE HOSKINS

INDIANS

ED McGHEE

WHITE SOX

ROY SEVERS

NATIONALS

ART FOWLER

REDLEGS

DANNY SCHELL

PHILLIES

GUSTRIANDOS

ORIOLES

JOE FRAZIER

CARDINALS

DON MOSSI

INDIANS

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

HAL BROWN

RED SOX

BOB KENNEDY

ORIOLES

"WINDY" McCALL

GIANTS

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

LOU ORTIZ

PHILLIES

MILT BOLLING

RED SOX

CARL SAWATSKI

WHITE SOX

ELVIN TAPPE

CUBS

DAVE JOLLY

BRAVES

BOBBY HOFMAN

GIANTS

PRESTON WARD

PIRATES

DON ZIMMER

DODGERS

BILLRENNA

ATHLETICS

100

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

101

BILL WILSON

ATHLETICS

102

BILLTREMEL

CUBS

103

HANKSAUER

CUBS

104

CAMILO PASCUAL

NATIONALS

105

HANK AARON

BRAVES

106

RAY HERBERT

TIGERS

107

ALEX GRAMMAS

CARDINALS

108

TOM QUALTERS

PHILLIES

109

HALNEWHOUSER

INDIANS

110

CHARLIE BISHOP

ATHLETICS

111

HARMON KILLEBREW

NATIONALS

112

JOHNNY PODRES

DODGERS

113

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

114

BOB PURKEY

PIRATES

115

DALE LONG

PIRATES

116

FERRIS FAIN

TIGERS

117

STEVE BILKO

CUBS

118

BOB MILLIKEN

DODGERS

119

MELPARNELL

RED SOX

120

TOM HURD

RED SOX

121

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDLEGS

122

JIM OWENS

PHILLIES

123

GUSZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

124

BOB TRICE

ATHLETICS

125

"RIP" REPULSKI

CARDINALS

126

TED LEPCIO

RED SOX

127

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

128

TOM BREWER

RED SOX

129

JIM GILLIAM

DODGERS

130

ELLIS KINDER

RED SOX

131

HERM WEHMEIER

PHILLIES

132

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

NATIONALS

REGULAR SETS

59
131
142
113
141
136
133

79
64
89
85
145
148
48
42
71
58
114
91
122
129

95
92
121
26
86
52
45
84
47
138
21
33
24
96
124
25
65
118
127
11
93
111
140
116
120
202
110
132
55
128
31
83
5
115
29
34

105

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DOUBLE HEADER CHECKLIST

PRICING

25-26

J. ROBINSON-HOAK

125

31-32

POLLET-BANKS

45-46

KALINE-VALENTINE

69-70

WILLIAMS II. SMITH

175

105-106

AARON-HERBERT

200

111-112

KILLEBREW-PODRES

127-128

SPAHN-BREWER

COMMON

SUPER COMMON/SEMI STAR

UNPERFORATED

BASE SET (66)

1,750

ONE CENT WRAPPER

150

ONE CENT PACK

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

ARNOLD PORTOCARRERO

LOU LIMMER

VIC POWER

"SPOOK" JACOBS

JOHNNY GRAY

JIM FINIGAN

ELMER VALO

BILL RENNA

101

BILL WILSON

110

CHARLIE BISHOP

123

GUSZERNIAL

124

BOB TRICE

BRAVES

CHARLIE WHITE

JIM PENDELTON

GENE CONLEY

JACK PARKS

DAVE JOLLY

105

HANK AARON

127

WARREN SPAHN

CARDINALS

GORDON JONES

WALLY MOON

JOE CUNNINGHAM

HARVEY HADDIX

JOE FRAZIER

107

ALEX GRAMMAS

125

"RIP" REPULSKI

CUBS

STAN HACK

JIM DAVIS

HOWIE POLLET

ERNIE BANKS

ELVIN TAPPE

102

BILLTREMEL

103

HANKSAUER

117

STEVE BILKO

DODGERS

"RUBE" WALKER

KARL SPOONER

JIM HUGHES

JACKIE ROBINSON

DON HOAK

BILLY HERMAN

SANDY AMOROS

DON ZIMMER

112

JOHNNY PODRES

118

BOB MILLIKEN

129

JIM GILLIAM

AL ROSEN

WALLY WESTLAKE

BILLY GLYNN

JIM HEGAN

DAVE HOSKINS

DON MOSSI

109

HAL NEWHOUSER

NATIONALS

DEAN STONE

CHUCK STOBBS

TOM WRIGHT

"BUNKY" STEWART

ROY SIEVERS

104

CAMILO PASCUAL

111

HARMON KILLEBREW

132

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

GIANTS

MONTE IRVIN

BILL TAYLOR

"DUSTY" RHODES

BILLY GARDNER

"WINDY" McCALL

RUBEN GOMEZ

BOBBY HOFMAN

ORIOLES

CHUCK DIERING

BILLY O'DELL

FRED MARSH

HAL SMITH

HARRY BRECHEEN

GUSTRIANDOS

BOB KENNEDY

PHILLIES

TED KAZANSKI

THORNTON KIPPER

DANNY SCHELL

LOU ORTIZ

108

TOM QUALTERS

122

JIM OWENS

131

HERM WEHMEIER

PIRATES

CURT ROBERTS

JACK SHEPARD

"JAKE" THIES

BOB SKINNER

DICK HALL

JOHN HETKI

GAIR ALLIE

JERRY LYNCH

PRESTON WARD

100

DICK GROAT

114

BOB PURKEY

115

DALE LONG

RUSS KEMMERER

FRANK SULLIVAN

KARL OLSON

LEO KIELY

TED WILLIAMS

GRADY HATTON

HAL BROWN

MILT BOLLING

119

MEL PARNELL

120

TOM HURD

126

TED LEPCIO

128

TOM BREWER

130

ELLIS KINDER

REDLEGS

ED BAILEY

"CORKY" VALENTINE

RAY JABLONSKI

CHUCK HARMON

BOB BORKOWSKI

ART FOWLER

121

TED KLUSZEWSKI

TIGERS

J.W. PORTER

FRANK HOUSE

ALKALINE

BOB MILLER

106

RAY HERBERT

113

RAY BOONE

116

FERRIS FAIN

WHITE SOX

RON JACKSON

BOB KEEGAN

JACK HARSHMAN

ED McGHEE

JIM RIVERA

CARL SAWATSKI

YANKEES

BILLSKOWRON

ANDY CAREY

ED LOPAT

BOB GRIM

BOBTURLEY

JOE COLLINS

106

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL STAMPS (1955)

Not Distributed
Issue Date: 1955
Base Set Size: -24

ACC #: None Assigned
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Sheet Size: Unknown

pinsBUKH mms

(Source Unknown)

The 1955 Baseball Stamps are exactly what they sound like: gummed, full sized, perforated blank back
stamp versions of the 1955 cards. All currently known examples came from Woody Gelman's personal
collection; the stamps were not released to the public, nor were a similar grouping of Rails & Sails
Stamps, a Topps set from the same time period. It is highly probable each stamp is one or two of-a-kind.

Comparison of the known stamps as arrayed on two continuous 25 card portions of an uncut card sheet
show they were all taken from the same area of the sheet and detail a likely universe of subjects that
totals 40, although 23 are shown in the two major guides. Another stamp not in the guides, one of Hank
Aaron, has been sighted by multiple collectors and should be considered part of the known checklist.

All players in with a (U) in the regular issue schematic below are unconfirmed but every row and column in
the schematic array has at least one stamp in the known checklist. While it is worth noting there is an
alternate sheet configuration of the cards where slots B5 and C5 are replaced by Wally Moon and Hank
Sauer (both possible but unconfirmed stamps), the fact both players occupying those positions (Jolly and
Pendleton) are already known as stamps would indicate the array below represents all possible stamps.

On the sheet of cards there would have been a column (or, more properly a row but the cards are
horizontally oriented and shown in that configuration for ease of reference) to the left of the stamps and
five more columns to the right. The rightmost column on the sheet (11) would replicate column 5 in one
configuration of the cards but none of the players from columns 6 through 10 are known as stamps.

There is no correlation between the stamps and the sixteen 1955 cards reproduced in two consecutive
April editions of Sports Illustrated magazine as the latter required newly composed arrays for publication.
It seems possible though that Woody Gelman had the stamps produced for his "Idea Book" as a by-product
of the preparation for the Sports Illustrated project.

Filling in the missing stamps on the sheet some reveals intriguing possibilities, as the schematic below
shows (Aaron is treated as confirmed):

107

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BANKS

CUBS (U)

CUNNINGHAM

CARDINALS

68
DAVIS
CUBS

105
DIERING
ORIOLES

6
HACK
CUBS

HADDIX

CARDINALS

JABLONSKI

REDLEGS

JOLLY

BRAVES

McCALL

GIANTS (U)

65
BOONE
TIGERS

MOSSI

INDIANS

PENDLETON

BRAVES

SCHELL

PHILLIES (U)

73
SHEPARD
PIRATES

88
SKINNER
PIRATES

90
SPOONER
DODGERS

THIES

PIRATES (U)

TREMEL

CUBS

VALENTINE

REDLEGS

103

WHITE

BRAVES

POLLET

CUBS

46
KAZANSKI
PHILLIES

MILLER

TIGERS (U)

MARSH

ORIOLES (U)

74
BORKOWSKI
REDLEGS (U)

22
SKOWRON
YANKEES

102
WESTLAKE
INDIANS (U)

STOBBS

SENATORS (U)

71
GOMEZ
GIANTS

STONE

SENATORS (U)

104

HARSH MAN

WHITE SOX (U)

AARON

BRAVES (U?)

17
HOFMAN
GIANTS

108
WALKER
DODGERS

RHODES

GIANTS (U)

MOON

CARDINALS (U)

21
GRAMMAS
CARDINALS

HOUSE

TIGERS (U)

SAUER

CUBS (U)

WILLIAMS

RED SOX (U)

If a Ted Williams stamp does indeed exist, as suggested, it would be the highest valued stamp in the set
(and potentially one of the most valuable Topps pieces of all time), followed by the Aaron then Banks.

BASEBALL STAMPS (1955) CHECKLIST

NAME

TEAM

"CORKY" VALENTINE

REDLEGS

"RUBE" WALKER"

DODGERS

ALEX GRAMMAS

CARDINALS

BILL SKOWRON

YANKEES

BILL TREMEL

CUBS

BOB SKINNER

PIRATES

BOBBY HOFMAN

GIANTS

CHARLIE WHITE

BRAVES

CHUCK DIERING

ORIOLES

DAVE JOLLY

BRAVES

DON MOSSI

INDIANS

HANK AARON (PROBABLE)

BRAVES

REGULAR SET

DOUBLE HDR.

108

107

102

103

105

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

HOWIE POLLET

CUBS

JACK SHEPARD

PIRATES

JIM DAVIS

CUBS

JIM PENDELTON

BRAVES

JOE CUNNINGHAM

CARDINALS

KARL SPOONER

DODGERS

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

RAY JABLONSKI

REDLEGS

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

STAN HACK

CUBS

TED KAZANSKI

PHILLIES

REGULAR SET
43

DOUBLE HDR.
42

PRICING IS SPECULATIVE ON ALL EXAMPLES-EX COMMON STAMPS WOULD COMMAND UPWARDS OF $600, POSSIBLY MUCH MORE.

108

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956)

Issued As: Baseball ACC #: R414-1 1

Issue Date: 1956 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane, "6 pack" of six 5 cent packs

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 340 (plus 2 unnumbered checklists) Number of Series: 4 Sheet Size: 110/220

CARL FURILLO

ARL ANTHONY FURILLO outfield BROOKl YH J

190) H " i9 ' ,fcS ' 11 " Wei 9 nt: 19 ° Bnts: Right Throws: Right
Home: Stony Creek Mills, Penna. Born: March 8, 1922

1956 was the first year Topps had the national baseball card market all to itself after the purchase of
Bowman from Haelan Laboratories in February. Starting with a 1 00 card first series, Topps followed with
three successive 80 card runs that resulted in their biggest baseball set since 1952. Based upon the lead
time required for the production of the cards, the first two series appear to have been planned as if
Bowman was still going to be a competitor.

Once again featuring a horizontal layout, the 1956 cards resemble less colorful versions of the 1955
offering, with a large portrait and background action shot dominating. A number of the poses replicated
1955's (which in turn repeated some from 1954). The reverse was dominated by a large center panel with
three captioned cartoons. Other than the vitals and statistics, there was no standalone text on the backs.

Along with two almost inexplicable cards showing the American and National League Presidents, the first
time subjects who did not play or coach appeared in a regular issue Topps set, team cards were
introduced in 1956. Team cards from the first series can be found three different ways, so at least three
press runs were made. The six teams in this series (Cubs, Phillies, Indians, Redlegs, Braves and Orioles)
can be found with the team name plate on the front aligned to the left, where a version that added 1955
after the team name presumably came first. Topps thought better of this in the second print run and left
the date off before centering the name for the next run and that is how the rest of the team cards left the
presses in each successive series.

1956 would be the last year Topps produced Giant Size baseball cards; they would convert to the now
ubiquitous "standard sized" cards for 1957. Topps altered their pack design in 1956 and the graphics
depict players in action (a pitcher on the five cent pack, a batter and pitcher on the penny pack) and
eschew the "circular baseball" motif of the last four years.

Two unnumbered Check Lists were included with this set; the first describes Series 1 and 3, the second
addressed Series 2 and 4. Both of these indicate there are 340 cards in the set and the latter also
highlights the 16 team cards (identified in red ink on each check list, not black like the other cards). There

109

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

is some thought these were only issued with the final series of the year and only after the purchase of
Bowman made it possible for Topps to be certain of both the set count and all participants. As the years
pass the checklists, while obviously harder to find in unmarked shape, are proving to be more prevalent
than once thought.

Series 1 (#1-100)

First series cards can be found with white or gray backs. What is interesting is that the team cards, which
come in three frontal varieties in this series, can be found five different ways if the backs are factored.
The six team cards featuring left-aligned and dated name plates can only be found with white backs while
the left-aligned dateless version come in both the white and gray back varieties, as do the centered ones.
This points to between three and five print runs for the first series. The left aligned, undated teams
seems to be more available and cheaper by about 50% than their counterparts; this is one of the few
pricing differentials seen among the variations in the first series. The white backs overall are slightly
more prevalent in this series, very likely due to the extra run of them but there seems to be very little
correlation between the type of back and the price of an individual card.

Series 2 (#101-180)

Series two consists of eighty cards and features the return of Mickey Mantle to the Topps fold in his first
appearance since 1953. Once again there are white and gray backed versions available, with the white
backs quite a bit more difficult in this series; pricing does not reflect this though. Whether or not the two
different backs are indicative of two press runs, the relative scarcity of the white backs makes it just as
plausible the stock was interchangeable during the run.

The team card name plates are centered in this and all subsequent series, so whatever benefit Topps
thought to achieve by dating the first series team cards seems to have ended by the time the second
series was printed. This indicates Topps could have felt the use of 1955 on the team cards would
eliminate any legal issues with Bowman over players appearing on the team cards but not under contract.
Based upon past litigation this seems like dubious legal ploy but the purchase of Bowman clearly made
this a moot point.

Series 3 (#181-260)

The third series is generally considered to be the start of the high numbers in 1956, indicating a relatively
lesser print run but there is little to no pricing evidence supporting this. From #181 on there are only gray
backed cards. This is also the final series to have team cards for 1956, which may have been the result of
Topps' long range planning for this set prior to the Bowman purchase as a fourth series could have been in
doubt prior to the acquisition of their biggest competitor.

Series 4 (#261-340)

As was often the case with Topps, the final series of the year featured very few stars of the day. This
curious phenomenon would not seem to be a great strategy for selling out the last series. Two cards in
the series, #288 Bob Cerv and #299 Charley Neal are thought by some hobby veterans to be short prints.
The rationale behind this comes from the famous collector and dealer, the late Larry Fritsch, who felt
these two cards were pulled and replaced by the Check Lists in one of the print runs. The pricing on Cerv
seems to support the theory it is a short print but the Neal card pricing does not. Other unnumbered cards
of the era, based upon evidence found on miscuts, were printed separately and "pushed" into the packs at
the plant so it is not clear what happened in 1956 with the insertion of the check lists.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards &
Collectibles, Author's Research)

110

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

GRAY BACK

WHITE BACK

WILLIAM HARRIDGE

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WARREN GILES

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ELMER VALO

ATHLETICS

CARLOS PAULA

NATIONALS

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

RON NEGRAY

PHILLIES

WALTER ALSTON

DODGERS

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

CHICAGO CUBS

CUBS

ANDY CAREY

YANKEES

ROY FACE

PIRATES

KEN BOYER

CARDINALS

ERNIE BANKS

CUBS

HECTOR LOPEZ

ATHLETICS

GENE CONLEY

BRAVES

DICK DONOVAN

WHITE SOX

CHUCK DIERING

ORIOLES

AL KALINE

TIGERS

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

JIM FINIGAN

ATHLETICS

FREDDIE MARSH

ORIOLES

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDLEGS

GRADY HATTON

RED SOX

NELSON BURBRINK

CARDINALS

BOBBY HOFMAN

GIANTS

JACK HARSHMAN

WHITE SOX

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

HANK AARON

BRAVES

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

PIRATES

TOM BREWER

RED SOX

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

RUDYMINARCIN

REDLEGS

ALEX GRAMMAS

CARDINALS

BOB KENNEDY

WHITE SOX

DON MOSSI

INDIANS

BOBTURLEY

YANKEES

HANKSAUER

CUBS

SANDY AMOROS

DODGERS

RAY MOORE

ORIOLES

"WINDY" McCALL

GIANTS

GUS ZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

GENE FREESE

PIRATES

ART FOWLER

REDLEGS

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

PEDRO RAMOS

NATIONALS

"DUSTY" RHODES

GIANTS

ERNIE ORAVETZ

NATIONALS

BOB GRIM

YANKEES

ARNOLD PORTOCARRERO

ATHLETICS

BOB KEEGAN

WHITE SOX

WALLY MOON

CARDINALS

DALE LONG

PIRATES

"DUKE" MAAS

TIGERS

ED ROEBUCK

DODGERS

JOSE SANTIAGO

INDIANS

MAYO SMITH

PHILLIES

BILL SKOWRON

YANKEES

HAL SMITH

ORIOLES

ROGER CRAIG

DODGERS

LUIS ARROYO

CARDINALS

JOHNNY O'BRIEN

PIRATES

BOBSPEAKE

CUBS

VIC POWER

ATHLETICS

CHUCK STOBBS

NATIONALS

CHUCK TANNER

BRAVES

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

111

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

FRANK SULLIVAN

RED SOX

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

PHILLIES

WAYNE TERWILLIGER

GIANTS

JIM KING

CUBS

ROY SIEVERS

NATIONALS

RAY CRONE

BRAVES

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

PHILLIES

SANDY KOUFAX

DODGERS

GUS TRIANDOS

ORIOLES

WALLY WESTLAKE

PHILLIES

BILL REN N A

ATHLETICS

KARL SPOON ER

DODGERS

"BABE" BIRRER

TIGERS

CLEVELAND INDIANS

INDIANS

RAYJABLONSKI

REDLEGS

DEAN STONE

NATIONALS

JOHNNY KUCKS

YANKEES

NORM ZAUCHIN

RED SOX

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

REDLEGS

GAIL HARRIS

GIANTS

"RED" WILSON

TIGERS

GEORGE SUSCE, JR.

RED SOX

RONNIE KLINE

PIRATES

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

BRAVES

BILLTREMEL

CUBS

JERRY LYNCH

PIRATES

CAMILO PASCUAL

NATIONALS

DONZIMMER

DODGERS

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

ORIOLES

101

ROYCAMPANELLA

DODGERS

102

JIM DAVIS

CUBS

103

WILLIE MIRANDA

ORIOLES

104

BOB LENNON

GIANTS

105

AL SMITH

INDIANS

106

JOE ASTROTH

ATHLETICS

107

ED MATHEWS

BRAVES

108

LAURIN PEPPER

PIRATES

109

ENOS SLAUGHTER

ATHLETICS

110

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

111

BOSTON RED SOX

RED SOX

112

DEE FONDY

CUBS

113

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

114

JIM OWENS

PHILLIES

115

JACKIE JENSEN

RED SOX

116

EDDIE O'BRIEN

PIRATES

117

VIRGIL TRUCKS

TIGERS

118

"NELLIE" FOX

WHITE SOX

119

LARRY JACKSON

CARDINALS

120

RICHIE ASHBURN

PHILLIES

121

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

PIRATES

122

WILLARD NIXON

RED SOX

123

ROY MCMILLAN

REDLEGS

124

DON KAISER

CUBS

125

"MINNIE" MINOSO

WHITE SOX

126

JIM BRADY

TIGERS

127

WILLIE JONES

PHILLIES

128

EDDIE YOST

NATIONALS

129

"JAKE" MARTIN

PIRATES

130

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

131

BOB ROSELLI

BRAVES

132

BOBBY AVI LA

INDIANS

133

RAY NARLESKI

INDIANS

134

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

CARDINALS

135

MICKEY MANTLE

YANKEES

136

JOHNNY LOGAN

BRAVES

137

AL SILVERA

REDLEGS

138

JOHNNY ANTONELLI

GIANTS

139

TOMMY CARROLL

YANKEES

140

HERB SCORE

INDIANS

GRAY BACK

WHITE BACK

112

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

141

JOE FRAZIER

CARDINALS

142

GENE BAKER

CUBS

143

JIM PIERSALL

RED SOX

144

LEROY POWELL

WHITE SOX

145

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

146

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

NATIONALS

147

EARL TORGESON

TIGERS

148

ALVIN DARK

GIANTS

149

"DIXIE" HOWELL

WHITE SOX

ISO

"DUKE" SNIDER

DODGERS

151

"SPOOK" JACOBS

ATHLETICS

152

BILLY HOEFT

TIGERS

153

FRANK THOMAS

PIRATES

154

DAVE POPE

ORIOLES

155

HARVEY KUENN

TIGERS

156

WES WESTRUM

GIANTS

157

DICK BRODOWSKI

NATIONALS

158

WALLY POST

REDLEGS

159

CLINT COURTNEY

NATIONALS

160

BILLY PIERCE

WHITE SOX

161

JOE DE MAESTRI

ATHLETICS

162

"GUS" BELL

REDLEGS

163

GENE WOODLING

INDIANS

164

HARMON KILLEBREW

NATIONALS

165

"RED"SCHOENDIENST

CARDINALS

166

BROOKLYN DODGERS

DODGERS

167

HARRY DORISH

ORIOLES

168

SAMMY WHITE

RED SOX

169

BOB NELSON

ORIOLES

170

BILLVIRDON

CARDINALS

171

JIM WILSON

ORIOLES

172

FRANK TORRE

BRAVES

173

JOHNNY PODRES

DODGERS

174

GLEN GORBOUS

PHILLIES

175

DEL CRANDALL

BRAVES

176

ALEX KELLNER

ATHLETICS

177

HANK BAUER

YANKEES

178

JOE BLACK

REDLEGS

179

HARRY CHITI

CUBS

180

ROBIN ROBERTS

PHILLIES

181

BILLY MARTIN

YANKEES

182

PAULMINNER

CUBS

183

STAN LOPATA

PHILLIES

184

DON BESSENT

DODGERS

185

BILL BRUTON

BRAVES

186

RON JACKSON

WHITE SOX

187

EARLY WYNN

INDIANS

188

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

WHITE SOX

189

NED GARVER

TIGERS

190

CARL FURILLO

DODGERS

191

FRANK LARY

TIGERS

192

"SMOKY" BURGESS

REDLEGS

193

WILMER MIZELL

CARDINALS

194

MONTE IRVIN

CUBS

195

GEORGE KELL

WHITE SOX

196

TOM POHOLSKY

CARDINALS

197

GRANNY HAMNER

PHILLIES

198

ED FITZGERALD

NATIONALS

199

HANK THOMPSON

GIANTS

200

BOB FELLER

INDIANS

201

"RIP" REPULSKI

CARDINALS

202

JIM HEARN

GIANTS

203

BILLTUTTLE

TIGERS

204

ART SWANSON

PIRATES

205

"WHITEY" LOCKMAN

GIANTS

206

ERV PALICA

ORIOLES

207

JIM SMALL

TIGERS

208

ELSTON HOWARD

YANKEES

209

MAX SURKONT

PIRATES

210

MIKE GARCIA

INDIANS

GRAY BACK

WHITE BACK

113

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956) CHECKLIST

211

MURRY DICKSON

PHILLIES

212

JOHNNY TEMPLE

REDLEGS

213

DETROIT TIGERS

TIGERS

214

BOB RUSH

CUBS

215

TOMMY BYRNE

YANKEES

216

JERRY SCHOONMAKER

NATIONALS

217

BILLY KLAUS

RED SOX

218

JOENUXALL

REDLEGS

219

LEW BURDETTE

BRAVES

220

DELENNIS

PHILLIES

221

BOB FRIEND

PIRATES

222

DAVE PHILLEY

ORIOLES

223

RANDY JACKSON

DODGERS

224

"BUD" PODBIELAN

REDLEGS

225

GIL McDOUGALD

YANKEES

226

NEW YORK GIANTS

GIANTS

227

RUSS MEYER

CUBS

228

"MICKEY" VERNON

RED SOX

229

HARRY BRECHEEN

ORIOLES

230

"CHICO" CARRASOUEL

INDIANS

231

BOB HALE

ORIOLES

232

"TOBY" ATWELL

PIRATES

233

CARL ERSKINE

DODGERS

234

"PETE" RUNNELS

NATIONALS

235

DON NEWCOMBE

DODGERS

236

KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS

237

JOSE VALDIVIELSO

NATIONALS

238

WALT DROPO

WHITE SOX

239

HARRY SIMPSON

ATHLETICS

240

"WHITEY" FORD

YANKEES

241

DON MUELLER

GIANTS

242

HERSHELL FREEMAN

REDLEGS

243

SHERM LOLLAR

WHITE SOX

244

BOB BUHL

BRAVES

245

BILLY GOODMAN

RED SOX

246

TOM GORMAN

ATHLETICS

247

BILLSARNI

CARDINALS

248

BOB PORTERFIELD

RED SOX

249

JOHNNY KLIPPSTEIN

REDLEGS

250

LARY DOBY

INDIANS

251

NEW YORK YANKEES

YANKEES

252

VERNON LAW

PIRATES

253

IRVNOREN

YANKEES

254

GEORGE CROWE

BRAVES

255

BOB LEMON

INDIANS

256

TOM HURD

RED SOX

257

BOBBY THOMSON

BRAVES

258

ART DITMAR

ATHLETICS

259

SAM JONES

CUBS

260

"PEE WEE" REESE

DODGERS

261

BOBBY SHANTZ

ATHLETICS

262

HOWIE POLLET

WHITE SOX

263

BOB MILLER

TIGERS

264

RAY MONZANT

GIANTS

265

SANDY CONSUEGRA

WHITE SOX

266

DON FERRARESE

ORIOLES

267

BOB NIEMAN

WHITE SOX

268

DALE MITCHELL

INDIANS

269

JACK MOYER

PHILLIES

270

BILLY LOES

DODGERS

271

FOSTER CASTLEMAN

GIANTS

272

DANNY O'CONNELL

BRAVES

273

WALKER COOPER

CARDINALS

274

FRANK BAUMHOLTZ

PHILLIES

275

JIM GREENGRASS

PHILLIES

276

GEORGE ZUVERINK

ORIOLES

277

DARYL SPENCER

GIANTS

278

CHET NICHOLS

BRAVES

279

JOHNNY GROTH

ATHLETICS

280

JIM GILLIAM

DODGERS

281

ART HOUTTEMAN

INDIANS

282

WARREN HACKER

CUBS

283

HAL SMITH

CARDINALS

284

IKE DELOCK

RED SOX

285

EDDIE MIKSIS

CUBS

286

BILL WIGHT

ORIOLES

287

BOBBY ADAMS

ORIOLES

288

BOB CERV

YANKEES

289

HAL JEFFCOAT

REDLEGS

290

CURT SIMMONS

PHILLIES

291

FRANK KELLERT

CUBS

292

LUIS APARICIO

WHITE SOX

293

STU MILLER

CARDINALS

294

ERNIE JOHNSON

BRAVES

295

CLEM LABINE

DODGERS

296

ANDYSEMINICK

PHILLIES

297

BOB SKINNER

PIRATES

298

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

RED SOX

299

CHARLEY NEAL

DODGERS

300

VIC WERTZ

INDIANS

301

MARVGRISSOM

GIANTS

302

EDDIE ROBINSON

YANKEES

303

JIM DYCK

ORIOLES

304

FRANK MALZONE

RED SOX

305

BROOKS LAWRENCE

REDLEGS

306

CURT ROBERTS

PIRATES

307

HOYTWILHELM

GIANTS

308

"CHUCK" HARMON

REDLEGS

309

DON BLASINGAME

CARDINALS

310

STEVE GROMEK

TIGERS

311

HAL NARAGON

INDIANS

312

ANDY PAFKO

BRAVES

313

GENE STEPHENS

RED SOX

314

HOBIE LANDRITH

CUBS

315

MILT BOLLING

RED SOX

316

JERRY COLEMAN

YANKEES

317

AL ABER

TIGERS

318

FRED HATFIELD

TIGERS

319

JACK CRIMIAN

ATHLETICS

320

JOE ADCOCK

BRAVES

321

JIM KONSTANTY

YANKEES

322

KARL OLSON

NATIONALS

323

WILLARD SCHMIDT

CARDINALS

324

"ROCKY" BRIDGES

REDLEGS

325

DON LIDDLE

GIANTS

326

CONNIE JOHNSON

WHITE SOX

327

BOB WIESLER

NATIONALS

328

PRESTON WARD

PIRATES

329

LOU BERBERET

NATIONALS

330

JIM BUSBY

INDIANS

331

DICK HALL

PIRATES

332

DON LARSEN

YANKEES

333

RUBE WALKER

DODGERS

334

BOB MILLER

PHILLIES

335

DON HOAK

CUBS

336

ELLIS KINDER

CARDINALS

337

BOBBY MORGAN

PHILLIES

338

JIM DELSING

TIGERS

339

RANCE PIERCE

ATHLETICS

340

MICKEY McDERMOTT

YANKEES

CHECKLIST 1/3

CHECKLIST 2/4

114

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL (1956) CHECKLIST

CARDS WITH MULTIPLE VARIATIONS

CHICAGO CUBS

TEAM CARD

CHICAGO CUBS

TEAM CARD

CHICAGO CUBS

TEAM CARD

CHICAGO CUBS

TEAM CARD

CHICAGO CUBS

TEAM CARD

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM CARD

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM CARD

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM CARD

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM CARD

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

TEAM CARD

CLEVELAND INDIANS

TEAM CARD

CLEVELAND INDIANS

TEAM CARD

CLEVELAND INDIANS

TEAM CARD

CLEVELAND INDIANS

TEAM CARD

CLEVELAND INDIANS

TEAM CARD

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

TEAM CARD

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

TEAM CARD

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

TEAM CARD

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

TEAM CARD

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

TEAM CARD

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

TEAM CARD

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

TEAM CARD

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

TEAM CARD

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

TEAM CARD

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

TEAM CARD

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

TEAM CARD

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

TEAM CARD

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

TEAM CARD

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

TEAM CARD

100

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

TEAM CARD

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT ALIGNED

LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK

LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK

CENTERED GRAY BACK

CENTERED WHITE BACK

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT ALIGNED

LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK
LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK

CENTERED GRAY BACK

CENTERED WHITE BACK

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT ALIGNED

LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK

LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK

CENTERED GRAY BACK
CENTERED WHITE BACK

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT ALIGNED

LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK

LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK

CENTERED GRAY BACK

CENTERED WHITE BACK

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT t
LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK

LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK

CENTERED GRAY BACK

CENTERED WHITE BACK

DATED - WHITE BACK - LEFT ALIGNED

LEFT ALIGNED GRAY BACK
LEFT ALIGNED WHITE BACK
CENTERED GRAY BACK

CENTERED WHITE BACK

WILLIAM HARRIDGE

NM VALUE 600 |

TED WILLIAMS

150

WARREN SPAHN

ERNIE BANKS

JACKIE ROBINSON

100

HANK AARON

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

125

SANDY KOUFAX

100

101

ROYCAMPANELLA

107

ED MATHEWS

110

YOGI BERRA

113

PHIL RIZZUTO

130

WILLIE MAYS

100

135

MICKEY MANTLE

500

150

"DUKE" SNIDER

164

HARMON KILLEBREW

166

BROOKLYN DODGERS

200

BOB FELLER

240

"WHITEY" FORD

251

NEW YORK YANKEES

260

"PEE WEE" REESE

292

LUIS APARICIO

CHECKLIST 1/3

CHECKLIST 2/4

COMMON (1-180)

SUPER COMMON (181-340)

SEMI STAR (1-180)

COMMON (181-340)

SUPER COMMON (181-340)

SEMI STAR (181-340)

BASE SET (340)

2,800

ONE CENT WRAPPER *

125

* Unpriced version b

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

225

ONE CENT PACK*

600

* Unpriced version b

FIVE CENT PACK

1,200

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

115

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL BUTTONS(1956)

a.k.a.iBasebatt Pins
Issue Date: 1956
Packaging: 5 cent envelope
Base Set Size: 60

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: PR3-2
Diameter: 1 1/8", 28.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown (poss. 60)

Known today simply as Baseball Pins, the sixty metal pinbacks issued by Topps in 1956 were sold as
Baseball Buttons according to the box advertising. The box bottom also advertises a total of 90 pins in
the set but the last thirty were never issued, probably due to the Bowman purchase either squeezing the
Topps cash flow or, more likely, eliminating the need for a product to siphon away nickels from Bowman's
customer base. The pins were issued with candy coated gum, which was probably the last of a Chiclets
style gum that Topps was about to discontinue. The box and wrapper, which is really an envelope,
prominently feature Ted Williams. Paper proofs of the buttons are known but quite rare.

Forty nine of the sixty pins are taken from players appearing in the first series of Topps baseball cards in
1956, while the remaining eleven all correspond to second series subjects. There are three pins that are
quite scarce when compared to the other fifty-seven: Chuck Diering, Hector Lopez and Chuck Stobbs. All
three appear on the bottom row of a sixty subject proof sheet and it is assumed they were damaged
during the production process, with a number of them discarded due to quality control issues.

All of the pins feature portraits, some taken from the regular 1956 issue and some that are close but not
exact. Unopened packs and wrappers are not frequently encountered and should be considered scarce.
The pins are generally plentiful and many have survived in excellent shape, pointing to a possible hoard
being found at some point, although none has ever been identified.

(Sources: The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards &
Collectibles, Author's Research)

116

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BASEBALL BUTTONS(1956) CHECKLIST

NAME

TEAM

AL KALINE

TIGERS

AL ROSEN

INDIANS

AL SMITH

INDIANS

ART FOWLER

REDLEGS

BILLSKOWRON

YANKEES

BILLTREMEL

CUBS

BOB KENNEDY

WHITE SOX

BOB TURLEY

YANKEES

BOBBY HOFMAN

GIANTS

CARLOS PAULA

NATIONALS

CHUCK DIERING

ORIOLES

CHUCK STOBBS

NATIONALS

DALE LONG

PIRATES

DICK DONOVAN

WHITE SOX

DICK GROAT

PIRATES

DON MOSSI

INDIANS

DUKE SNIDER

DODGERS

ED MATHEWS

BRAVES

ERNIE BANKS

CUBS

FRANK HOUSE

TIGERS

FRANK SULLIVAN

RED SOX

GENE CONLEY

BRAVES

GIL HODGES

DODGERS

GRADY HATTON

RED SOX

GUSTRIANDOS

ORIOLES

GUS ZERNIAL

ATHLETICS

HAL SMITH

ORIOLES

HANK AARON

BRAVES

HANK SAUER

CUBS

HARVEY HADDIX

CARDINALS

HECTOR LOPEZ

ATHLETICS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

PHILLIES

JACK HARSHMAN

WHITE SOX

JACKIE JENSEN

RED SOX

JACKIE ROBINSON

DODGERS

JIM FINIGAN

ATHLETICS

JIM HEGAN

INDIANS

JIM RIVERA

WHITE SOX

JOE BLACK

REDLEGS

JOE COLLINS

YANKEES

JOHNNY O'BRIEN

PIRATES

KARLSPOONER

DODGERS

KEN BOYER

CARDINALS

LUIS ARROYO

CARDINALS

MAYO SMITH

PHILLIES

PHIL RIZZUTO

YANKEES

RAY BOONE

TIGERS

RON NEGRAY

PHILLIES

roy McMillan

REDLEGS

ROY SIEVERS

NATIONALS

RUBEN GOMEZ

GIANTS

SANDY AMOROS

DODGERS

TED KLUSZEWSKI

REDLEGS

TED WILLIAMS

RED SOX

VIC POWER

ATHLETICS

WALLY MOON

CARDINALS

WARREN SPAHN

BRAVES

WILLIE MAYS

GIANTS

WILLIE MIRANDA

ORIOLES

YOGI BERRA

YANKEES

REG. NUMBER

150
107

130
103
110

GUS ZERNIAL

HECTOR LOPEZ

JIM FINIGAN

VIC POWER

ED MATHEWS

GENE CONLEY

HANK AARON

WARREN SPAHN

CARDINALS

HARVEY HADDIX

KEN BOYER

LUIS ARROYO

WALLY MOON

CUBS

BILLTREMEL
ERNIE BANKS
HANK SAUER

DODGERS
DUKE SNIDER

GIL HODGES

JACKIE ROBINSON
KARLSPOONER
SANDY AMOROS

GIANTS
BOBBY HOFMAN
RUBEN GOMEZ
WILLIE MAYS

INDIANS

AL ROSEN

AL SMITH

DON MOSSI

JIM HEGAN

NATIONALS
CARLOS PAULA
CHUCK STOBBS

ROY SIEVERS

CARLOS PAULA

CHUCK STOBBS

ROY SIEVERS

HERMAN WEHMEIER

MAYO SMITH

RON NEGRAY

DALE LONG

DICK GROAT

JOHNNY O'BRIEN

FRANK SULLIVAN

GRADY HATTON

JACKIE JENSEN

TED WILLIAMS

REDLEGS

ART FOWLER

JOE BLACK

ROY MCMILLAN
TED KLUSZEWSKI

TIGERS

AL KALINE

FRANK HOUSE
RAY BOONE

WHITE SOX
BOB KENNEDY
DICK DONOVAN
JACK HARSHMAN
JIM RIVERA

YANKEES
BILL SKOWRON
BOB TURLEY
JOE COLLINS
PHIL RIZZUTO
YOGI BERRA

AL KALINE

CHUCK DIERING

165

CHUCK STOBBS

165

DUKE SNIDER

ED MATHEWS

ERNIE BANKS

GIL HODGES

HANK AARON

100

HECTOR LOPEZ

200

JACKIE ROBINSON

100

PHIL RIZZUTO

175

TED WILLIAMS

200

WARREN SPAHN

WILLIE MAYS

YOGI BERRA

COMMON

SUPER COMMON

SEMI STAR

BASE SET (60)

2,000

WRAPPER

SPEC.

PACK

SPEC.

BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

117

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE

Issued As: Frank Buck's Bring 'Em Back Alive Jungle Card Gum, Jungle Gum ACC #: R714-2

Issue Date: 1950 Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent TCG cellophane (with two card panels)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 100 Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

MAN AGAINST BEAST

' The tiger killed often, leaving
only his tree*loed tracks behind. I was sur-
prised when a native said, "Me show killer-
liger." Accompanying him to the spot he
indicated, we waited. Suddenly, the slink-
ing killer emerged. A burst of gunfire! The
ofF-hind foot of the carcass had only three
toes. The killer had revisited the
scene of his crime ... a human
body!

BRin&tmBfiCKAuvE

©T.C.G. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Topps began a long term commitment to character licensing in 1950, starting with Hopalong Cassidy and
which brought about a larger card size. They then struck a deal with the estate of Frank Buck to release
a set of 100 cards called Bring 'Em Back Alive, featuring sensational and in some cases almost risque
artwork celebrating the tales of the legendary adventurer. An inconspicuous title plate also adorns the
front and it is clear the action takes place in Africa. Bring 'Em Back Alive (BEBA) was a modern take on a
1938 Gumakers of America set featuring Buck's exploits and assuredly Topps had high expectations for it
but the cards appear to have only sold modestly.

The card backs are a variation of the theme started with Hopalong Cassidy, with a stylized subset specific
graphic in the upper left corner, the card title and subset detail underneath that, followed by the text and
a "Bring 'Em Back Alive" caption with a drawing of Buck at the bottom. The titles are often quite lurid
("Lost Among The Head Hunters", "Cannibal Torture" and "Swallowed Alive" are but three examples) BEBA
comes with either gray or tan backs (although a few white ones are out there-it's unclear if they fade to
tan) and while there is some thought within the hobby that the panels were issued only with gray stock,
that does not seem to be the case.

Like other cards of its size, BEBA also was issued in two card panels. These were sold in nickel packs
this way, with gum and then in the red Trading Card Guild cello's without the gum. The panels are quite
difficult today, more so when compared with most of the other sets issued this way.

There are five subsets:

Civilization Farewell

Dangerous Living

Fighting Animals

Man Against Beast

Homeward Bound

100

118

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

In the wake of an uproar over the Freedom's War set in the spring of 1951, Topps President Joseph Shorin
promised they would pull that set and substitute another series of Frank Buck cards. That promise led to
the Animals of the World set, the backs of which clearly identify "This Series is numbered from 101-200",
which would neatly fit atop the first 100 cards of BEBA. But rather than featuring the action packed
scenes that Frank Buck was famous for, Animals of the World featured sedate, albeit well-executed
illustrations of wild animals shown against a rectangle of nuanced color that dominated most of the
obverse. They were drawn by an artist named Mary Lee Baker and taken from a popular 1948 book
featuring her illustrations called Wild Animals of the World. The reasons for this subterfuge are unknown
but Topps probably could not license a second series of cards from the Buck estate and having promised
more cards, simply improvised.

As Animals of the World was considered by Topps to be a sequel to BEBA so were they treated in the
American Card Catalog. The ACC designated Bring 'Em Back Alive as R71 4-2 whereas Animals of the
World is described as R714-1. This reversal was likely due to an alphabetizing scheme used to order the
sets in each grouping. The 1953 version of the ACC, using a different scheme than the one commonly
referred to today, assigned Bring 'Em Back Alive a catalog number of R527 and Animals of the World 'was
designated as R529, following the proper chronological progression.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Jeff Shepherd,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

AVENGING TEETH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

A COWARD STRIKES

FIGHTING ANIMALS

TONS OF DEATH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

FOOD FOR THE KILLER

FIGHTING ANIMALS

JUNGLE FEAR

FIGHTING ANIMALS

FIGHT FOR LIFE

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE BLAZING DESTROYER

DANGEROUS LIVING

DEADLY DARTS

DANGEROUS LIVING

GIANTS OF THE JUNGLE

DANGEROUS LIVING

JUNGLE EXPEDITION

CIVILIZATION FAREWELL

ENEMY INVASION

DANGEROUS LIVING

FLIGHT OVER THE JUNGLE

CIVILIZATION FAREWELL

LOST AMONG THE HEAD HUNTERS

DANGEROUS LIVING

TRIBAL FRENZY

DANGEROUS LIVING

HUNTERS' BOAST

DANGEROUS LIVING

JUNGLE WAR

DANGEROUS LIVING

DEADLY FIRE

DANGEROUS LIVING

CORNERED BY WOLVES

FIGHTING ANIMALS

ROARING FURY

CIVILIZATION FAREWELL

THE LIONESS SPRINGS

FIGHTING ANIMALS

RACE AGAINST DEATH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

FLYING FEATHERS

FIGHTING ANIMALS

ANTELOPE BATTLE

FIGHTING ANIMALS

DRAGGED TO DEATH

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE KILLER ESCAPES

HOMEWARD BOUND

CHALLENGE TO BATTLE

FIGHTING ANIMALS

KILLER OF THE NORTH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

SNAKE WOMAN

DANGEROUS LIVING

FIGHTING MEN OF AFRICA

DANGEROUS LIVING

RIVER KINGS OF THE JUNGLE

DANGEROUS LIVING

JUNGLE TELEGRAPH

DANGEROUS LIVING

THE GREAT ADVENTURER

CIVILIZATION FAREWELL

THE WOLF PACK ATTACKS

FIGHTING ANIMALS

"TURTLE MONSTER"

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE HUNTER IS HUNTED

DANGEROUS LIVING

FLIRTING WITH DEATH

MAN AGAINST BEAST

TAN BACK GRAY BACK

119

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

CALL FOR HELP

DANGEROUS LIVING

THE KING'S HELPER

DANGEROUS LIVING

TEST OF STRENGTH

DANGEROUS LIVING

WITCH DOCTOR

DANGEROUS LIVING

LAND OF EVIL SPIRITS

DANGEROUS LIVING

DRUMS IN THE NIGHT

DANGEROUS LIVING

HELPED BY PYGMIES

CIVILIZATION FAREWELL

JUNGLE NIGHT

DANGEROUS LIVING

QUICKSAND

DANGEROUS LIVING

RAID FOR SLAVES

DANGEROUS LIVING

JUNGLE DRUMS

DANGEROUS LIVING

GODS OF THE FIRE

DANGEROUS LIVING

PLEA FOR MERCY

DANGEROUS LIVING

NIGHT ATTACK

DANGEROUS LIVING

CANNIBAL TORTURE

DANGEROUS LIVING

SUDDEN DEATH

DANGEROUS LIVING

UNEXPECTED DANGER

MAN AGAINST BEAST

LASSOING A LEOPARD

HOMEWARD BOUND

JUNGLE KING'S CAPTURE

MAN AGAINST BEAST

SILENT KILLER

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE APE IS TRICKED

MAN AGAINST BEAST

DEATH COMES CLOSE

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE DEADLY COBRA STRIKES

HOMEWARD BOUND

A KILLER IS CREATED

FIGHTING ANIMALS

LEOPARD OVERBOARD

HOMEWARD BOUND

A MONSTER TRAPPED

MAN AGAINST BEAST

STRUGGLE FOR LIFE

FIGHTING ANIMALS

A JUNGLE FIGHT

FIGHTING ANIMALS

FOOD FOR AN ELEPHANT

HOMEWARD BOUND

JUNGLE TRICK

MAN AGAINST BEAST

TIGER ON THE HUNT

MAN AGAINST BEAST

SNARING A MONSTER LIZARD

MAN AGAINST BEAST

WATER IS THE ENEMY

HOMEWARD BOUND

TRAPPED BY GREED

MAN AGAINST BEAST

RACE WITH A PYTHON

MAN AGAINST BEAST

APE IN THE TREE-TOP

MAN AGAINST BEAST

TERROR OF THE JUNGLE

FIGHTING ANIMALS

DEADLY JAWS

FIGHTING ANIMALS

RIPPING CLAWS

FIGHTING ANIMALS

TRACKS OF A KILLER

MAN AGAINST BEAST

MONKEYS ON THE LOOSE

HOMEWARD BOUND

TINY KILLER

FIGHTING ANIMALS

SLASHING TEETH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

THE PYTHON'S COILS CRUSH

FIGHTING ANIMALS

CURING A TIGER

HOMEWARD BOUND

A LEOPARD IS CAUGHT

MAN AGAINST BEAST

A WILD ELEPHANT NOOSED

MAN AGAINST BEAST

DASHED TO DEATH

DANGEROUS LIVING

COWBOY ON SHIPBOARD

HOMEWARD BOUND

BACK IN THE WILD

MAN AGAINST BEAST

THE TIGER FEUD

HOMEWARD BOUND

A NIGHT WITH A TIGER

MAN AGAINST BEAST

HERO OF THE SWAMP

DANGEROUS LIVING

A TIGER LEAPS

MAN AGAINST BEAST

TOSSED BY AN ELEPHANT

HOMEWARD BOUND

TRAPPING AN ORANG-UTANG

MAN AGAINST BEAST

SUSPENSE AT THE TRAP

MAN AGAINST BEAST

A KNIFE SAVES A CHILD

DANGEROUS LIVING

AN APE TAKES THE COUNT

HOMEWARD BOUND

SWALLOWED ALIVE

MAN AGAINST BEAST

LIGHTNING CLAWS

HOMEWARD BOUND

CHASED BY A BEAR

MAN AGAINST BEAST

DESPERATION AND DEATH

MAN AGAINST BEAST

100

JUNGLE EMERGENCY

MAN AGAINST BEAST

TAN BACK GRAY BACK

AVENGING TEETH

THE GREAT ADVENTURER

100

JUNGLE EMERGENCY

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

SET (SINGLES)

350

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

300

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

1500

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

120

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DAVY CROCKETT

Issued As: Walt Disney's Davy Crockett
Issue Date: 1955-56
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 160

ACC #: R712-1a (Orange Backs) & R712-1b (Green Backs)
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Number of Series: 2 Sheet Size: 110/220

FACE WITH DEAT

it*

Red Suck challenged Davy to a toma-
hawk %lit. If Davy won, the Creek
Chief would make peace with the wil-
Jierv Bui if Davj lost, bodi he and Rus-
sd would K- doomed. Davy wai
lighter but had never foughl with toma-
hawks before Confident of victory. Red
Stick squared off. Davy knew this would
be one of the toughest fights of his life.

SEf CARD SO- "ARMS Of STHt"

l*critnrolnr movie

'^•■ : '(AuT$5fsAlE^S i

DAVY CROCKETT

KING O) Hi* WILD (fiONTlt H. Starting F«i f»*rk*r
PRINTED m ''5NEV PRODUCTIONS, INC.

FIGHT FOR LIFE

trod mixed with some pretty tough
scrappers in my time, but this Creek
was about the cleverest 1 ever fought.
He'd fake me time and again. It was only
a big share of luck I had stored up that
kept me from getting killed. I watched
him and began to get the knack of toma-
hawk fighting. Next time Red Stick
swung at me. 1 had a big surprise for him.

"FINISH HIM, DAVY)"

ROCKETT

(Orange Back scan courtesy Frank Evanov)

Davy Crockett illustrates the good and bad sides of a kids' fad. Disney's Davy Crockett: King of the Wild
Frontier cobbled together three early episodes from the television series Disneyland and hit the theaters
just before Memorial Day, 1955. With a theme song already known to millions of kids, the movie was a
major summer hit, with over $25 Million in receipts and spawned numerous merchandising tie-ins,
including the famous coonskin cap, which raked in an estimated $10 Million alone. Topps contributed to
this marketing onslaught with an eighty card set in 1955. Some sources place the initial release in the
summer, some in late fall and there is also support for a split issue, with New York receiving the initial
distribution in what may have been a primordial test issue, then other areas receiving the secondary one.

Commonly known as Orange Backs for obvious reasons, massive amounts of cards were produced in a run
that used gray card stock at first. The set features clear and colorful stills from the TV show/movie
(Disney, while having to air episodes in black and white, shot them in color) and the card backs have a
small paragraph of text below the card number and title, which repeats the one from the front of the card.
A nice graphic element is also on display on the card backs. The box is one of the more stunning Topps
creations, with excellent photography and illustrations making the packs within irresistible.

121

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Hobby lore tells us the cards were well collated in the packs and full sets were easy to put together in
1955 and indeed they are quite easy to find today. Most Orange backs have gray cardboard stock but
some, apparently printed at the end of the run, can be found with white or tan stock as well. Thirty cards
are thought to be overprinted based upon tabulation research (counting), which indicates the same 30
would have been double prints on each of the two 110 card half sheets Topps customarily produced for
each series. However, Topps did some strange things in 1955 with short and extra prints and until both
sheets can be sighted, full confirmation of the overprints remains to be made. The set is so abundant any
non-overprints do not seem to go for a premium. There is some thought white-backed cards should sell for
more but in the age of eBay such notions are hard to prove.

Kids clamored for more Davy and despite the fact he was killed off in real life and at the end of the movie,
two more TV episodes by Disney were produced in late 1955. These told a story predating that of the
original series and movie and once again a feature was pieced together from the TV episodes. Davy
Crockett and the River Pirates -was afforded a mid-July of 1956 theatrical release and Topps produced
another eighty card set to celebrate. Once again numbered from 1-80 and similar to what came previously
but with an "A" appended to each number, this second series is commonly referred to as Green Backs.
The retail box for the green Backs had a "New Series" sticker slapped on it by Topps but still referenced
the original movie, albeit in small type.

Instead of overprints, the Green backs are believed to contain 20 short prints. Once again, this is
suggested by tabulation research, a method fraught with inaccuracy. The full press sheet would have to
be sighted to make this determination but two full sets of 80 plus another 60 triple prints would total 220.
Some hobby veterans believe card #2A is under printed even in relation to the alleged short prints.
Whether or not these short prints exist, only some of them (#'s 1 A through 8A) command a pricing
premium. This structure makes little sense but exists despite conflicting pricing and is quite volatile.

Due to a combination of old stills being recycled, waning Crockett-mania (Elvis, anyone?) and poor timing,
Topps ended up with a sequel less popular than the original. The majority of the Green Backs seem to
have been sold in Canada as the Orange backs had done well there and all were printed on gray stock,
indicating but a single press run that was transported in uncut sheet form instead of languishing in one of
the three warehouses Topps maintained in Brooklyn.

The Green backs have a significant variation. Card #20A "Ambush" was issued with a title on the back
that read "Hello Georgie". This was corrected quite late in the run and the card with the correct back title
of "Ambush" back is quite hard to track down today; the error version also commands a small premium.

Alleged Orange Back Overprints: 4, 5, 7, 10, 16, 17, 19, 23, 33, 36, 39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56,
59, 61, 62, 67, 69, 71, 72, 73, 76.

Alleged Green Back Shortprints: 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 20A, 40A, 43A, 44A, 45A, 46A,
47 A, 48A, 49A, 50A.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
American Card Catalog, The Wrapper #186 & #187 - "Davy Crockett" by David Owen, Total Television by
Alex McNeil, http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1950.html , Author's Research)

Green Backs Retail Box (Source Unknown)

122

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DAVY CROCKETT (ORANGE BACKS) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

GRAY BACK

WHITE BACK

NUMBER

NAME

GRAY BACK

WHITE BACK

KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER

VOTE FOR DAVY!

CALL TO WAR

SERVING HIS COUNTRY

OFF TO BATTLE

CONGRESSMAN CROCKETT

SENTRY! WHERE'S CROCKETT

"YOU'RE CHEATING, MISTER"

BEAR MEAT FOR DINNER

REACH, CROCKETT

DAW IN COMMAND

OFF TO TEXAS

ALERTED FOR DANGER

TROUBLE AHEAD

PREPARING FOR WAR

DAVY'S VICTORY

DANCE OF DEATH

IN ENEMY TERRITORY

READY TO STRIKE

DAVY ARRIVES

A DARING RAID

COL. CROCKETT REPORTING

FLYING LEAD

A DESPERATE DECISION

MOVING TARGETS

A NEAR MISS

INDIAN ATTACK

THE ALAMO'S ANSWER

BITING THE DUST

THINGS LOOK BAD

EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF

READY FOR NIGHT ATTACK

TOMAHAWK TERROR

NO RELIEF IN SIGHT

FIGHT FOR LIFE

NIGHT BOMBARDMENT

PICKING 'EM OFF

BAD NEWS

HAND FIGHTING

A STARTLING REPORT

SAVAGE CHIEF

WE'LL NEVER SURRENDER

DAVY IN DANGER

A TOUGH CHOICE

HALT OR WE'LL SHOOT

KEEPING SPIRITS HIGH

HOME SWEET HOME

CHECKING THE DEFENSES

INDIAN TERRITORY

PLANS FOR DEFENSE

ON GUARD

RELOAD-QUICK!

INDIAN TORTURE

STORMING THE WALLS

DAVY SENSES TROUBLE

HEAVY ARTILLERY

FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH

HELP!

ARMS OF STEEL

DEFENSES CRUMBLE

FISTS FLYING

FISTS AGAINST GUNS

BREAKING THE HOLD

EVERY SHOT COUNTS

FIGHTING-INDIAN STYLE

FIGHTING TO THE END

DAVY IS CHALLENGED

FLASHING STEEL

BULLSEYE!

TRAVIS HIT

DON'T MOVE, CROCKETT

A BULLET FINDS ITS MARK

DIRTY FIGHTING

BLAZING RIFLES

THE KNOCKOUT

FIGHT TO THE FINISH

NOW GET GOING

RUSSEL FALLS

TRAGEDY STRIKES

BOWIE'S LAST STAND

PRICING

KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER

BOWIE'S LAST STAND

COMMON

SET

200

ONE CENT WRAPPER

125

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

225

ONE CENT PACK

100

FIVE CENT PACK

500

TEN CENT PACK

1,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

3,000

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

1,500

123

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DAVY CROCKETT (GREEN BACKS) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

1 A

BUCKSKIN BUDDY

2 A

DANGEROUS MISSION

3 A

CATCHING A BEAR

4 A

OUT OF MY WAY!

5 A

OLD HICKORY

6 A

YOU'RE WRONG, CROCKETT

7 A

SETTING THE TRAP

8 A

A FEARFUL SIGHT

9 A

THE WARNING

10 A

DEADLY ARROWS

11 A

DAVY'S GAMBLE

12 A

GO GET 'EM, DAVY!

13 A

SHARPSHOOTING

14 A

DAVY IN ACTION

15 A

QUICK ON THE TRIGGER

16 A

FIGHTING FURY

17 A

BLAZING BULLETS

18 A

SHOWER OF LEAD

19 A

SUICIDE ATTACK

20 A

AMBUSH

21 A

A SHOT RINGS OUT

22 A

A CLOSE CALL

23 A

PREPARE TO FIRE!

24 A

HAPPY VACATION

25 A

DISOBEYEING ORDERS

26 A

SNEAK ATTACK

27 A

JAWS OF DEATH

28 A

AN ENEMY FALLS

29 A

VICIOUS BATTLE

30 A

FIGHT FOR LIFE

31 A

FINISH 'EM, DAVY!

32 A

GIVE UP?

33 A

PEACE

34 A

TAKING CAREFUL AIM

35 A

STRANGE NEIGHBOR

36 A

DAVY'S DOWN!

37 A

FLYING TACKLE

38 A

GOOD-BYE, CROCKETT!

39 A

A SURPRISING OFFER

40 A

THE REUNION

NUMBER

NAME

41 A

DAVY'S NEW ADVENTURE

42 A

NORTON'S SCHEME

43 A

DOUBLECROSSED

44 A

HEADING SOUTH

45 A

DAVY HAS COMPANY

46 A

COMANCHE!

47 A

ROUGH AND TUMBLE

48 A

SIGN LANGUAGE

49 A

"CAPTURE CROCKETT!"

50 A

THE ALAMO

51 A

HOW'S OUR CHANCES?

52 A

THE FIGHTING MAJOR

53 A

BOWIE'S "TOOTHPICKS"

54 A

BLASTING THE ALAMO

55 A

DRIVING 'EM BACK

56 A

LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

57 A

OL' BETSY'S VICTIM

58 A

GEORGIE, COME BACK!

59 A

ROUGH RIDE

60 A

FURIOUS ASSAULT

61 A

ON THE RUN

62 A

BRIEF REST

63 A

DAVY'S SONG

64 A

OUTSMARTING THE GAMBLER

65 A

TIME'S RUNNING OUT

66 A

READY TO CHARGE

67 A

DIRECT HIT

68 A

WALL OF BULLETS

69 A

OVER THE TOP

70 A

KEEPING 'EM OFF

71 A

TAKE THAT!

72 A

BREAKING THROUGH

73 A

ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS

74 A

STRAIGHT FOR DAVY

75 A

SURROUNDED

76 A

5,000 AGAINST 200

77 A

SLASHING SWORD

78 A

BLAZING PISTOLS

79 A

FIGHTING FINISH

80 A

TEXAS TRIMUPH

1 A

BUCKSKIN BUDDY

100

2 A

DANGEROUS MISSION

3 A

CATCHING A BEAR

4 A

OUT OF MY WAY!

5 A

OLD HICKORY

6 A

YOU'RE WRONG CROCKETT

7 A

SETTING THE TRAP

8 A

A FEARFUL TRAP

20 A

AMBUSH WITH "GEORGIE" BACK

20 A

AMBUSH WITH AMBUSH BACK

600

80 A

TEXAS TRIUMPH

COMMON

SET

350

ONE CENT WRAPPER

125

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

225

ONE CENT PACK

100

FIVE CENT PACK

500

TEN CENT PACK

1,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

3,500

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

2,000

124

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

DAVY CROCKETT TATOO

Issued As: Davy Crockett Tatoo
Issue Date: -1956
Packaging: 1 cent
Base Set Size: Unknown (~24)

ACC #: R711-UNC
Size: 1 9/1 6" x 3 1/2", 40 x 89 mm
Manufacturer: Bubbles, Inc.
Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

DAVY

ocmr

TATOO

Davy Crockett Tatoo pack image (courtesy of Adam R. Tucker) Reverse image not available.

Drawing upon their earlier Tatoo sets, Topps supplemented their Davy Crockett offerings with a small set
called Davy Crockett Tatoo around 1956. With a bland wrapper showing just an anachronistic revolver and
the name of the issue, a number of larger gum tabs featuring fairly crude line drawings and spot color
were produced by Topps without any reference to Walt Disney appearing. Utilizing a paper wrapper, the
Davy Crockett Tatoo packaging followed that of the largest size of Tatoo Bubble Gum (1953) and was the
first character-specific tattoo issue for Topps. It also credited the issue to Bubbles Inc., a sporadic
practice at the firm in this era.

The set length is at least 16 and very possibly could total 24, a common divisor for later Topps wrapper
issues of the era but as with many earlier Topps tatoo issues, it is presently indeterminate. Some original
artwork is known as well and was sold via the Topps Vault. The set is scarce but not in high demand due
to the lack of a specific, associated movie or TV show and general lack of current-day interest in the
ephemeral Topps tattoo issues. All wrappers and packs will exhibit a small, jagged tear at or near the
middle glue point extending to the top border; this was a Topps production flaw dating back to 1938 and
was not caused by opening the wrappers.

A checklist will not be presented for this set and pricing can be broken down into simple categories:

Opened Wrapper: $50
Unopened pack: $75
Box (Empty): Speculative

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Author's Research)

125

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ELVIS PRESLEY

Issued As: Elvis Presley

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent cello

Base Set Size: 66

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R710-1
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", 63.5 x 89 mm
Manufacturer: Bubbles, Inc.
Sheet Size: 132/264

ARE YOU NERVOUS
BEFORE AUDIENCES?

I guess it doesn't make any
difference how long you stay
in show business, you still get
soared when you step out on
stage and face the audience.
All the things that keep run-
ning through your mind! Yes,
I still get butterflies in my
stomach - just like I used to
when I was in High School and I
had to recite in front of the
olass -know the feeling? Well,
it's pract i-
cally the same
thing when you
perform. ©bubbles inc. prihted in u.s-a.

a J. oc J. J.11PJ, : ircxj.,

0f&

Topps first standard sized set at 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" drew upon the star power of Elvis Presley at the end of
1 956. Timed to the release of the King's first movie, Love Me Tender, the set utilized various flexichrome
enhanced photographs that mostly come off as mushy and garish at the same time. Due to the potential
for controversy, the Bubbles, Inc. moniker was used by Topps in marketing the cards, although some
packs have Topps indicia and possibly were sold in Canada. The first 46 cards, with exception of #2
(which sports a "Record Collector's Check List") have an "Ask Elvis" feature on the reverse, the last 20
are a subset devoted to the movie.

The release date of the movie, November 15, helps date the issue to the fall of 1956. The use of standard
sized cards would allow Topps to print more cards per sheet in a 12 row by 11 column array and marked
the end of the "Giant Size" era. This columnar structure would lead to many oddities from the 1950's
through 1990's appearing in groups divisible by 11. There are no short prints, as one would expect from a
66 card issue in standard size as the set would be replicated twice on each half sheet. The set was
printed by Zabel Brothers Lithographers in Philadelphia.

Elvis Presley is in good supply today and remains a popular set. As expected, the Check List card is
condition sensitive, as are the first and last cards. Canadian cards are described as being on slightly
darker stock but otherwise cannot be identified as a non-U.S. issue. Elvis Presley would also be one of
the first Topps sets licensed for sale in the U.K. by A&BC Gum, albeit three years after the fact.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

126

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ELVIS PRESLEY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

GO, GO, GO ELVIS

ELVIS PRESLEY (AUTOGRAPH)

RELAXING AT REHEARSALS

LOVE ME TENDER

SOFT AND MELLOW

ELVIS WITH HIS FANS

PRESLEY PRESS CONFERENCE

SINGING WITH THE HEART

TIME OUT BETWEEN SHOWS

AMERICA'S SINGING IDOL

DON'T BE CRUEL

PICKIN'OUTATUNE

STEVE ALLEN AND ELVIS

DOWN ON THE FARM

JUDGING HIS RECORD

VACATION FUN

STUDYING THE SCRIPT

SINGING SESSION

1 WANT YOU, 1 NEED YOU, 1 LOVE YOU

A TUX FOR TV

ELVIS PRESLEY

THE FAN'S FRIEND

READY TO RIDE

ELVIS' MOVIE DEBUT

ELVIS' MOTORCYCLE

HOUND DOG

SWINGING LOW

ACTING OUTDOORS

FACING THE CAMERAS

ELVIS THE ACTOR

AT THE KEYBOARD

TUNING UP FOR THE SHOW

A SHOW FOR THE HOME TOWN

NUMBER

NAME

TAKING IT EASY BETWEEN SCENES

ELVIS AT 17

CHOW TIME ON THE MOVIE SET

STRUMMING FOR FUN

ELVIS' ESCORT

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTIONI

SERENADE TO A POOCH

ROCKIN' ON STAGE

RADIO BROADCAST

RECORDING SESSION

ELVIS' SPECIAL SHIRT

PREPARING TO GO ONSTAGE

AMERICA'S TOP SINGER

CLINT AND CATHY RENO

FARM CHORES

NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY

HARD WORK

HAPPY HOMECOMING

PORCH PERFORMANCE

"1 WANT AN HONEST ANSWER"

HEADING FOR THE FAIR

SINGING UP A STORM

BAD NEWS

I'M GOIN' TO VANCE

RESCUE RIDE

CLINT'S PLANE

"DON'T TRY TO STOP ME"

FIGHTING MAD

TWO AGAINST ONE

SETTING THE TRAP

"LET HIM HAVE IT, CLINT"

CLINT TAKES AIM

"GO BACK TO VANCE"

GO, GO, GO ELVIS

ELVIS PRESLEY

"GO BACK TO VANCE"

COMMON

SET

250

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

150

ONE CENT PACK

100

FIVE CENT PACK

400

TEN CENT PACK

1,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

2,000

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

1,000

127

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FIGHTING MARINES

Issued As: Fightin' Marines ACC #: R709-1

Issue Date: 1952 Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent (in panel form), 10 cent TCG cellophane (with two card panels)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 96 Number of Series: 2 Sheet Size: Unknown

jrn

TRAINING

MARINES IN TRAINING
This is No. 21 in a Series of 23

THROW
THAT GRENADE!

"Up an' al 'eml" In training, every step of throwing a
hand-grenade is drilled into each new recruit. First, (he
pin is pulled . . . then the grenade is held tightly to pre-
vent it from going off too soon. At a command, each man
throws his grenade, with a long, sweeping motion of his

arm. Then . . . dig for dirt! The explosion is

comingl

FIGHTING MARINES

CO. PRINTED IN U.S. A. OFFICIAl U. S. M. C. PHOTO

Despite a 1951 Copyright on the box, Fighting Marines seemingly did not see issue in that year,
presumably due to the furor over Freedom's Warm the Spring of 1951. While some sources list it as a late
1953 issue, the set is fully catalogued (and advertised) in the 1953 American Card Catalog, published in
February of that year. The likely date of issue therefore is 1952. The wrapper and box both drop the 'G'
from "Fighting" and replace it with an apostrophe but the reverse of the cards retains the proper
grammatical usage.

Using a mix of U.S. Marine Corps official photographs (cards 1-23) and artwork (cards 24-96), the set was
released in two series of 48; that the first is more common in the U.S., the second in Canada indicates the
product may have fizzled out upon release of the second series. Indeed, its smaller size had already been
usurped by the Giant Size cards of 1952. Five subsets are featured, although unlike other similarly
subdivided Topps sets of the era, each is presented in numerical order. Red and blue lines were added to
frame the artwork, giving a true red, white and blue theme to the set. Rather than being added at the time
of printing, these lines were painted on the original artwork for each card.

A rare, eight card advertising panel reproduces the box cover art and the issued cards were available as
singles and in two card panels, as was Topps's penchant at the time. Therefore, some cards can be found
with nubs and some without but it has been speculated those numbered 49 and higher only have nubs on
them, indicating the second series was not sold in penny packs. This is incorrect though and they can be
found both ways. All cards were printed on gray stock.

Fighting Marines is known for short prints in both series of cards and there seems to be three levels of
scarcity. There is a consensus that four cards belong in a toughest to find top tier: 44, 74, 83 and 96 and
it also seems #84 belongs with this group. Of these, 44 is believed by most collectors to be the hardest to
find in nice shape and by a good margin. The next, or second tier includes: 23, 26, 39, 59, 63, and 72. A
third, easier tier seems to consist of 43, 46 and 48 but there is not a whole lot of pricing support to

128

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

confirm this as they sell like they are commons. If you accept that the third tier exists then combining all
three tiers and separating them by series gives you 7 tough cards per series.

No uncut sheets have been sighted to determine the print array so the short prints have been observed
through tabulation research, not the most accurate of methods. However, the cards are the same size as
Look W See and that set was printed on 1 1 x 1 1 sheets, based upon the best current evidence. The
problem with comparing that set's sheets with Fighting Marines is that there would be an odd card out in
the panels of two, which seems impossible for Topps. Another possible array is 12 x 8 or a permutation
such as 24 x 1 6. The answer may never be revealed but perhaps an uncut sheet will emerge someday to
show the true picture.

There are five subsets, with each card is also individually numbered, as was the practice of Topps from
1950 to 1952:

Marines In Training
Marines In The Pacific
Marine Heroes
History Of The Marines
Marine Uniforms

23
25
22
20
6

Fighting Marines is the last of the panelized sets issued by Topps in the early 1950's. Cutting and other
production and marketing issues were the likely culprits for the demise of the panels. Panels would be
revived from time to time by Topps but not as a coordinated feature across several product lines.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
American Card Catalog (1953 edition), The Wrapper #21 3 & #214 - "Fighting Marines" by Dave Owen,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

FIGHTING MARINES CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

FIRING THE HOWITZER

MARINES IN TRAINING

ON THE MARCH

MARINES IN TRAINING

LANDING A TANK

MARINES IN TRAINING

RIDING THE TANK

MARINES IN TRAINING

BAYONET PRACTICE

MARINES IN TRAINING

FIRING INSTRUCTIONS

MARINES IN TRAINING

NIGHT COMBAT

MARINES IN TRAINING

OBSTACLE COURSE

MARINES IN TRAINING

FLAMETHROWER

MARINES IN TRAINING

STORMING ASHORE

MARINES IN TRAINING

HOUSE TO HOUSE COMBAT

MARINES IN TRAINING

CLASHING STEEL

MARINES IN TRAINING

INTO THE SURF!

MARINES IN TRAINING

BAZOOKA!

MARINES IN TRAINING

COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL

MARINES IN TRAINING

WOMAN MARINE

MARINES IN TRAINING

CAREFUL AIM

MARINES IN TRAINING

MORTAR SIGHT

MARINES IN TRAINING

AUTOMATIC RIFLE

MARINES IN TRAINING

SET FOR ACTION

MARINES IN TRAINING

HOWITZER CREW

MARINES IN TRAINING

THROW THAT GRENADE!

MARINES IN TRAINING

LIGHT MACHINE GUNS

MARINES IN TRAINING

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

TAKE OFF!

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

SCOUTING THE BEACH

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

OFFICER IN ACTION

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

PUSHING FORWARD

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

"GET THAT PLANE"

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

PARATROOPER

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

129

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FIGHTING MARINES CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

JUNGLE WIRE

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

WASH DAY

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

RESCUE AT SEA

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

LANDING SIGNAL

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

"RUSH FOR THE GUN"

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

"HIT THE BEACH"

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

GUNNERYSERGEANT

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

SUPPLIES FOR BATTLE

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

"DOWN THEY GO!"

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

BATTLE FOR TARAWA

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

INTO THE NIGHT

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

GENERAL A.A. VANDERGRIFT

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

IWOJIMA!

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

MARINE FIGHTER

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

TARGET AHEAD!

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

ATTACK FROM THE SKIES

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

BACK FROM THE FRONT

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

LOWERING A BOMB

MARINES IN THE PACIFIC

THE LAST MOMENT

MARINE HEROES

IN THE FACE OF DEATH

MARINE HEROES

FORCING AN ENTRANCE

MARINE HEROES

DANGEROUS LANDING

MARINE HEROES

RIDING THE TAIL

MARINE HEROES

FLYING LEATHERNECKS

MARINE HEROES

RAGING SEA

MARINE HEROES

INTO THE FLAMES

MARINE HEROES

MARINE ENGINEERS

MARINE HEROES

STAYING WITH A PAL

MARINE HEROES

BARE-HANDED ATTACK

MARINE HEROES

UNDER FIRE

MARINE HEROES

IWOJIMA HERO

MARINE HEROES

SINGLE-HANDED BATTLE

MARINE HEROES

LIFE SAVER!

MARINE HEROES

DEAD SHOT!

MARINE HEROES

FEARLESS LEADER!

MARINE HEROES

EXPOSED TO FIRE

MARINE HEROES

DODGING BULLETS

MARINE HEROES

GRENADE ATTACK

MARINE HEROES

REAR GUARD

MARINE HEROES

SAVING THE WOUNDED

MARINE HEROES

"FROM THE HALLS OF MONTEZUMA" - 1847

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

AGAINST THE INDIANS - 1836-1842

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

WORLD WAR 1-1917-1918

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

BOXER REBELLION - 1900

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

RAIDING THE BAHAMAS - 1776

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

INTO KOREA -1871

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI - 1805

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

CIVIL WAR - 1861-1865

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

FIRST MARINE AVIATIOR - 1912

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR - 1898

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

BELLEAU WOOD -1918

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

IN THE PHILIPPINES -1900

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

IN THE CARIBBEAN

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

SUMATRA -1831

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

WAKE ISLAND -1941

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

SOLOMON ISLANDS -1942

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

ICELAND -1941

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

INCHON - 1950

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

PUS AN - 1950

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

WONSAN - 1950

HISTORY OF THE MARINES

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - 1775

MARINE UNIFORMS

THE WAR IN TRIPOLI -1805

MARINE UNIFORMS

U.S. MARINES - 1847 (THE MEXICAN WAR)

MARINE UNIFORMS

U.S. MARINES - 1861 (THE CIVIL WAR)

MARINE UNIFORMS

U.S. MARINES - 1898 (THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR)

MARINE UNIFORMS

U.S. MARINES - 1918 (WORLD WAR 1)

MARINE UNIFORMS

FIRING THE HOWITZER

MARINE FIGHTER

BOXER REBELLION - 1900

IN THE CARIBBEAN

SUMATRA -1831

U.S. MARINES - 1918 (WORLD WAR 1)

COMMON (1-48)

COMMON PANEL (1-48)

COMMON (49-96)

COMMON PANEL (49-96)

TIER 2 (1-48)

TIER 2 (49-96)

TIER 3

SET (SINGLES)

650

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

350

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

500

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

■unQimr

PICTURE CARD GUM

PICTURE CARD GUM
FJWTM'

PICTURE CARD GUM

Fighting Marines One Cent Wrapper (Courtesy Legendary Auctions)

130

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS-SOLDIERS OF THE WORLD

Issued As: Parade
Issue Date: 1949
Packaging: 1 cent tab
Base Set Size: 100

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-7
Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

Confusingly sold in packaging labeled Parade but generally called Flags Of All Nations, these tiny, colorful,
two sided cards probably ended up with their traditional set name because so many older sets carried the
moniker. Two caramel cards issues and a bread issue, all from the 1920's featured the "Flags of all
Nations" phrase prominently on their reverses and this could be one of the earlier Topps efforts to
hearken back to the younger years of Woody Gelman, Sy Berger and the Shorin brothers.

Created as unnumbered inserts that rested between the inner and outer wrappers of a penny gum tab with
each end protruding slightly, Flags Of All Nations was one of the final sets issued in this size. Formally
tied together a year later with Play Coins of the World when it was reconfigured and re-imagined in a
larger format, the 1949 set also has ties to Play Coins and captures a time when the headquarters of the
United Nations was being built in Manhattan and civics and global politics were the stuff of radio talk
shows and Social Studies classes.

Featuring a "silk" card surface for the flag side that exhibits discernible texture, the reverse displays a
well drawn, bright illustration of a soldier from the county depicted. The soldier side features well
rendered portraits of an armed services member of the country depicted, with a colored name plate
underneath. The soldier side of the card is quite clean looking.

Seizing on a theme that featured circuses, carnivals and parades and dominated the 1949 marketing
strategy at Topps, the box and backs more predominantly mention Parade than Flags or Soldiers. Mint
examples are quite difficult to locate thanks to the method of distribution and the set is neither widely
collected nor very popular. While there are 100 cards, there are not that many nations represented. Some
nations also have an alternate flag, or multiple alternates; some are called an "Admiral" flag, because the
pictured soldier is actually a mariner and there is ample representation of Dixie in the set as two
Confederate flags and an Alamo banner make an appearance for the U.S.

Some cards were thought by Benjamin and Watson to have been short printed or double printed. Their size
suggests a Magic Photos sized sheet of 126 could easily have been used for production of the cards but
the two published checklists only show 94 subjects, although all six of the "missing" cards have been
confirmed. A similar set, X-Ray Roundup, which uses similar obverse graphics, was printed on 100 card

131

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

sheets but the specialized material used to make the flag side of the card may have required a different
press than that one. Still, it seems likely the set was printed on one sheet of 1 00 cards.

An alternate gum tab, a fruit flavor of Topps Gum, purportedly also held these cards. Believed by bubble
gum archivist Jeff Shepherd to have been a possible test run for one cent packs of Bazooka, the fruit
wrapper is exceedingly rare. Parade wrappers are not widely encountered either and it is likely the set
was pulled to make way for the larger version of Flags cards issued by Topps in 1950.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Jeff
Shepherd, http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1950.html , Author's Research)

FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS-SOLDIERS OF THE WORLD CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

N0#

1ST AMERICAN FLAG

NO#

ABYSSINIA

NO#

ADMIRAL-GREAT BRITAIN

NO S

ADMIRAL-ITALY

NO#

ADMIRAL-JAPAN

NO#

ADMIRAL-NETHERLANDS

NO#

ADMIRAL-NORWAY

NO#

ADMIRAL-SPAIN

NO#

ADMIRAL-US

NO#

AFGHANISTAN

NO#

ALAMO

N0#

ALBANIA

NO#

ARGENTINA

NO#

ARMENIA

N0#

AUSTRALIA

NO#

AUSTRIA

NO#

BELGIUM

NO U

BOLIVIA

N0#

BRAZIL

imo n

BULGARIA

NO#

BURMA

NO#

BYELORUSSIAN S.S.R.

NO#

CANADA

N0#

CHILE

NO#

CHINA

N0#

COLOMBIA

NO #

COLUMBUS' FLAG

N0#

COMM. PERRY'S FLAG

no n

CONFEDERATE STATES 1861

NO#

CONFEDERATE STATES 1865

NO#

COSTA RICA

NO #

CUBA

N0#

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

NO#

DENMARK

NO#

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

NO #

ECUADOR

NO#

EGYPT

NO S

EL SALVADOR

NO #

ESTONIA

N0#

ETHIOPIA

no n

FINLAND

N0#

FRANCE

NO #

GENERAL STAFF-FRANCE

N0#

GERMANY

NO#

GOLD COAST

NO#

GREECE

NO#

GUATEMALA

NO #

HAITI

NO#

HONDURAS

NO #

HUNGARY

NUMBER

NAME

NO#

ICELAND

NO S

INDIA

NO#

IRAN

NO #

IRAQ

NO #

IRISH FREE STATE

NO#

ISRAEL

NO #

ITALY

NO#

JAPAN

NO #

LATVIA

NO#

LEBANON

no n

LIBERIA

NO#

LUXEMBOURG

NO#

MEXICO

NO #

MOROCCO

NO#

NETHERLANDS

NO #

NEW ZEALAND

NO#

NICARAGUA

NO U

NORWAY

NO#

PAKISTAN

NO #

PANAMA

NO#

PARAGUAY

NO#

PERU

NO #

PHILIPPINES

NO#

POLAND

NO #

PORTUGAL

NO#

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY JACK

NO #

RED CROSS

NO#

ROYAL AIR FORCE

NO #

RUMANIA

NO #

SAUDI ARABIA

NO#

SIAM

no n

SPAIN

NO#

SWEDEN

NO #

SWITZERLAND

NO#

SYRIA

NO#

TIBET

NO#

TRANS JORDAN

NO #

TURKEY

no n

UKRANIAN S.S.R.

NO#

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

NO #

UNITED KINGDOM

NO #

UNITED STATES

NO #

URUGUAY

NO#

US MARINE CORPS

NO #

USSR (RUSSIA)

NO#

USSR AIR FORCE

NO #

VENEZUELA

NO #

VIKING FLAG

NO#

YEMEN

NO #

YUGOSLAVIA

NO S

1ST AMERICAN FLAG

N0#

CONFEDERATE STATES 1861

NO#

CONFEDERATE STATES 1865

NO U

UNITED STATES

COMMON

SET

325

ONE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

132

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLAGS OF THE WORLD - PARADE

Issued As: Parade, Parade Flags
Issue Date: 1950
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 100

ft.

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-6
Size: 1 3/4" x 2 7/8", 44.5 x 73 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

UNITED STATES

CAPITAL WAtMIMCTOR t). C

!*• U.%. h»i n«J t*t wait rapid «ff0*i*
«* tnr "Ho- In fW -*-ld A li«d 6(
boot i*J opc^N.Ht. ■' lu, , ■
rain. «r <Ur»«f*n a*d ft*. — Mml lli

PARADE
ffopj si 1 ff>» World

4 a uiiei

,«*

Topps increased the size of the card for their reissue of the Flags Of All Nations - Soldiers Of The World
set in 1950. Utilizing the same flags as the previous, smaller set, Topps this time set them against a dull
gray background. The reverse of the card, so colorful the previous year, was turned into a simple black
and white line illustration, using the same drawing and indicia from 1949, the drawing slightly reduced in
size, with some explanatory text and population and geographic information added. The sparseness of the
presentation speaks to the rushed atmosphere surrounding this set. The only other set issued in this size,
1950 License Plates, also had dimensions that had similarly increased from the previous year as Topps
worked to keep pace with Bowman after the initial success of their gum tab sets.

Parade came in both penny and nickel varieties and can be found with either White, tan or gray backs. It's
likely these were not printed in the same quantities but no difference in pricing has been noticed. Penny
packs housed a card and hunk of gum in a fully sealed pack. The box actually bears a 1949 date,
reflecting, according to Chris Benjamin, the date Parade Cum was copyrighted. The cards were issued in
panels of two for the five cent configuration, three to a pack. As with other Topps sets sold in panels, the
nickel packs and wrappers are quite scarce. This was the first issue in a two year run for panelized sets
from Topps and surviving examples will have nubs on at least one vertical edge. It is highly probable that
all cards were issued in all configurations.

Topps individually numbered each card on the reverse and also grouped them into five haphazard subsets:

Africa

The Americas

Asia

Europe

Pacific

100

Card nos. 4 (Belgium) and 87 (Admiral-Netherlands) are both depicted as #14 in the Europe subset but one
of them was to have been #20.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

133

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLAGS OF THE WORLD - PARADE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TAN

GRAY

WHITE

GERMANY

EUROPE

BOLIVIA

THE AMERICAS

TRANSJORDAN

ASIA

BELGIUM

EUROPE

GOLD COAST

AFRICA

AUSTRALIA

PACIFIC

MOROCCO

AFRICA

ARGENTINA

THE AMERICAS

ESTONIA

EUROPE

AFGHANISTAN

ASIA

IRAQ

ASIA

URUGUAY

THE AMERICAS

IRAN

ASIA

UNITED STATES

THE AMERICAS

INDIA

ASIA

ICELAND

EUROPE

UNITED KINGDOM

EUROPE

USSR (RUSSIA)

EUROPE

HONDURAS

THE AMERICAS

1ST AMERICAN FLAG

THE AMERICAS

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

AFRICA

VIKING FLAG

EUROPE

COMM. PERRY'S FLAG

THE AMERICAS

CHILE

THE AMERICAS

CANADA

THE AMERICAS

CONFEDERATE STATES 1865

THE AMERICAS

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY JACK

THE AMERICAS

BYELORUSSIAN SSR

EUROPE

NETHERLANDS

EUROPE

BURMA

ASIA

BRAZIL

THE AMERICAS

MEXICO

THE AMERICAS

SPAIN

EUROPE

LUXEMBOURG

EUROPE

LIBERIA

AFRICA

SWITZERLAND

EUROPE

LEBANON

ASIA

U.S. MARINE CORPS

THE AMERICAS

YUGOSLAVIA

EUROPE

YEMEN

ASIA

RED CROSS

THE AMERICAS

VENEZUELA

THE AMERICAS

U.S. ADMIRAL

THE AMERICAS

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

EUROPE

ROYAL AIR FORCE

EUROPE

CUBA

THE AMERICAS

CONFEDERATE STATES 1861

THE AMERICAS

PANAMA

THE AMERICAS

COSTA RICA

THE AMERICAS

COLOMBIA

THE AMERICAS

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TAN

GRAY

WHITE

PAKISTAN

ASIA

CHINA

ASIA

NORWAY

EUROPE

NICARAGUA

THE AMERICAS

HUNGARY

EUROPE

NEW ZEALAND

PACIFIC

ADMIRAL-ITALY

EUROPE

LATVIA

EUROPE

ABYSSINIA

AFRICA

ADMIRAL-JAPAN

ASIA

ADMIRAL-GREAT BRITAIN

EUROPE

ARMENIA

EUROPE

PORTUGAL

EUROPE

GENERAL STAFF, FRANCE

EUROPE

EL SALVADOR

THE AMERICAS

USSR AIR FORCE

EUROPE

EGYPT

AFRICA

ECUADOR

THE AMERICAS

SAUDI ARABIA

ASIA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

THE AMERICAS

POLAND

EUROPE

DENMARK

EUROPE

RUMANIA

EUROPE

THE PHILIPPINES

PACIFIC

PERU

THE AMERICAS

ALBANIA

EUROPE

PARAGUAY

THE AMERICAS

COLUMBUS' FLAG

EUROPE

AUSTRIA

EUROPE

ITALY

EUROPE

TIBET

ASIA

ALAMO

THE AMERICAS

ADMIRAL-NORWAY

EUROPE

HAITI

THE AMERICAS

ADMIRAL-SPAIN

EUROPE

GUATEMALA

THE AMERICAS

ADMIRAL-NETHERLANDS

EUROPE

UKRANIAN S.S.R.

EUROPE

TURKEY

ASIA

GREECE

EUROPE

FRANCE

EUROPE

SYRIA

ASIA

ETHIOPIA

AFRICA

BULGARIA

EUROPE

SWEDEN

EUROPE

IRISH FREE STATE

EUROPE

SIAM

ASIA

ISRAEL

ASIA

JAPAN

ASIA

100

FINLAND

EUROPE

1ST AMERICAN FLAG

CONFEDERATE STATES 1865

U.S. MARINE CORPS

UNITED STATES

CONFEDERATE STATES 1861

COMMON (ANY STOCK)

SET (ANY STOCK)

110

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

200

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

350

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

150

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

134

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLAGS OF THE WORLD

Issued As: Flags of the World

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent cello

Base Set Size: 80 Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-5
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 110/220

Topps dramatically changed the look of their third flag issue in seven years for 1956. Using all the
available real estate on both front and back of the card, the Giant Size Flags of the World featured waving
flags set against a very colorful scene from the country represented. A bold name plate completed the
obverse and result was one of the better looking sets of the Giant Size era.

The backs had a prominent card number displayed against a small flag silhouette, a number of vital facts
and a cartoon feature entitled "How They Say" which on most cards presented phonetically translated
spellings of four basic words from the local language: "Hello", "Friend ", "Thanks" and "Goodbye",
although some countries had different words translated. For English speaking countries, the United
States card, which launched the set, featured the Hopi language while Canada's had humorous nicknames
for the "Penny", "Hamburger", "Nova Scotian" and New Brunswicker" while Great Britain, Australia and
New Zealand used slang phrases. The set concludes with a flag for the United Nations.

According to the Non-Sport Bible, 30 cards were overprinted, purportedly based upon both an uncut sheet
observation and collation from vending boxes. The set is so common it's doubtful this has any effect on
prices of various singles. Flags of the World was reissued in 1970 and in addition to the regular wrapper
for that year there is a paper test wrapper associated with the later issue, as well as paper money inserts.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

1956 Flags of the World Box (Source Unknown)

135

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLAGS OF THE WORLD CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

UNITED STATES

IRAN

EL SALVADOR

SYRIA

CEYLON

PERU

TURKEY

HONDURAS

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

BOLIVIA

BURMA

VENEZUELA

GREECE

COSTA RICA

IRELAND

HAITI

ICELAND

CHINA NATIONALIST

CANADA

INDONESIA

ARGENTINA

PANAMA

RUSSIA

AUSTRIA

LIBERIA

GREAT BRITAIN

ALBANIA

BULGARIA

ISRAEL

SAUDI ARABIA

RUMANIA

CHINA PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC

LEBANON

INDIA

COLOMBIA

JAPAN

SOUTH KOREA

HUNGARY

SWITZERLAND

FRANCE

NUMBER

NAME

PHILIPPINES

BRAZIL

IRAQ

DENMARK

NICARAGUA

AFGHANISTAN

PORTUGAL

ETHIOPIA

POLAND

CUBA

ALGERIA

TIBET

THAILAND

SPAIN

GERMANY WEST

LUXEMBURG

PARAGUAY

ITALY

AUSTRALIA

URUGUAY

ECUADOR

INDOCHINA

YUGOSLAVIA

LIBYA

SWEDEN

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

MEXICO

NEW ZEALAND

CHILE

JORDAN

EGYPT

PAKISTAN

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

FINLAND

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

GUATEMALA

MONACO

UNITED NATIONS

PRICING

1 1

UNITED STATES

COMMON

SET

150

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

200

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

136

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLIP-O-VISION

Issued As: Flip-O-Vision
Issue Date: 1949
Packaging: 5 cent
Base Set Size: 40 known

ACC #: R710-2
Size: 1 7/8" x 1 11/32", 48 x 33 mm (single), 1 7/8" x 4", 48 x 100 mm (panel)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Number of Series: 2? Sheet Size: Unknown

FLIPOVISION

Cover

Interior Page

Reverse

Featured in an April, 1949 price list, Flip-O-Vision was one of the earliest Topps paper products.
Advertised as "The Movie Maker Bubble Gum", these tiny flip movie books competed with both a similar
Bowman product and a Post cereal insert in the spring and summer of 1949 although it's unclear if they
were ever distributed in large numbers outside of New York City.

Sold only in nickel packs with a large, presumably scored, slab of gum, Flip-O-Vision required the
purchaser to detach 30 thin, lightly perforated paper "frames" from 10 three frame panels (that were
actually one, continuous strip of 30, folded accordion style measuring 40 inches in length overall!), then
order each frame in sequence (each was numbered at the bottom, with the exception of some title
frames) and use a rubber band to hold the flip movie together before riffling the deck to show a short
filmed sequence. As one would expect given such use, intact panels are quite scarce today.

The completed books, which featured a title leaf advertising the name of the movie and stars, plus the
number of the specific "Topps Production" and often a teaser for a feature film, also suffered greatly and
surviving examples are hard to find; only lack of interest keeps prices somewhat flat, although certain
productions command a premium due to the actor or actress portrayed. Advertising for the series blurred
the line between fact and fiction, trumpeting stars such as Bob Hope and bandleader Kay Kyser along
with characters like Joe Palooka and Dick Tracy, indicating Topps was targeting a broad audience with
the set. Most productions were filmed exclusively using a special camera, which must have made this an
expensive set to produce.

Flip-O-Vision was tied to a promotional scheme in New York City where a theater would display a sign that
announced anyone presenting a flipbook with the "Mystery Star of the Week" would receive a special
prize. No such prize has been associated with Topps, so it is assumed each theater made their own
arrangements. According to the October 1, 1949 edition of the Card Collectors Bulletin, this promotion
resulted in brisk sales of the product near movie houses. However by the winter of 1950, Topps was
dumping overstock of the five cent packs via trade ads; this purge of overstock may have continued via a
third party coupon promotion well into 1952 as well.

137

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

A glassine insert designed to separate the gum from the movies inside the pack advertised 49 Stars and
Characters in the series, without identifying titles (some stars appear in multiple productions) and
numbers up to 60 are known, with 40 confirmed subjects. Productions presently unconfirmed may
indicate legal action was threatened by some stars or studios.

It is unknown if Topps originally planned to produce 49 or more Productions or deliberately left some
holes in the numbering but one of the stars considered noteworthy enough to use in the advertising, Kay
Kyser, is Production No. 58; he also appears on the glassine pack insert checklist. A second run seems to
have been produced though as Production No. 57 features scenes from the Marx Brothers "Love Happy"
(featuring a young Marilyn Monroe), a movie that did not premiere until October 12, 1949 (after the Card
Collectors Bulletin article appeared) and did not screen in New York City until April 7, 1 950. There is also
a variation of Production No. 17, starring Roddy McDowall and which can be found with either "Look Mom,
No Teeth" or "Dollar Scholar" as the title; it is presently unknown if each has different scenes within.

A large trove of Productions was auctioned on eBay in April 2013 which did not turn up any of the 20
unknown productions. This strongly suggests a print run of 20 subjects per series with extensive skip
numbering, especially above number 30. It has not yet been determined if all of the original 49 advertised
stars and characters saw issue with the first run but it seems possible the second run may have been
intended for national distribution after the first was only issued in New York City or just the Northeast.
This "second run" was likely curtailed given the gaps in the latter part of the set. Presumed "no-prints" are
nos. 5, 13, 15, 24, 29, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 50, 51, 54 and 55.

Some title leaves feature the name of a movie over that of the star while others reverse this order; why
this occurred is not clear. It is also unclear if Flip-O-Vision is also tied in with a small, gum tab sized insert
depicting a mini lobby card for the movie "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", released in August of 1949 but Topps
was obviously tying their advertising to current movies no matter what the connection.

Stars and Characters Advertised on Pack Insert

Abbott & Costello

Vic Damone

Margaret O'Brien

The Aldrich Family

Johnny Desmond

Joe Palooka

Morey Amsterdam

Kirk Douglas

Bert Parks

Vince Barnett

Jimmy Durante

The Pied Pipers

William Bendix

Leon Errol

Buddy Rich

Bomba, The Jungle Boy

Billy Gilbert

Lanny Ross

Johnny Mack Brown

Leo Gorcey

Peggy Ryan

Burns & Allen

Jack Haley

Al Schacht

Cab Calloway

Bob Hope

Red Skelton

Rod Cameron

Ina Ray Hutton

Jimmy Stewart

Harry Carey, Jr.

Kay Kyser

Dick Tracy

Jack Carson

Arthur Lake

Rudy Vallee

Charlie Chan

Harpo Marx

Jimmy Wakely

Senator Claghorn

The Marx Bros

Johnny Weismuller

Lois Collier

Roddy McDowall

Tex Williams

Bing Crosby

Victor Moore

Whip Wilson
Henny Youngman

Names on the above list that do not appear in the set are: Abbott & Costello, William Bendix, Bud
Cameron, Harry Carey, Jr., Jack Carson, Lois Collier, Jimmy Durante, Arthur Lake, The Pied Pipers, Lanny
Ross and Red Skelton. In addition The Ink Spots are in the set but not on the list.

138

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps' interest in flip books may have led to their involvement with and subsequent purchase of Russell
Publishing, which eventually resulted in the 1951 Baseball Candy sets. The initial approach by Topps into
the baseball card market was originally conceived of as a series of flip books before a different direction
was taken. Perhaps the lack of a sell through on the nationally issued product caused their brass to
change their minds and pursue cards for their inaugural baseball set instead.

There is a degree of correlation between the subjects of the various Flip-o-vision productions and the 45
card long Movie Stars in Series J of the second series of Magic Photo, which was also a 1949 release.

The numbered checklist is incomplete and is also incorrect in some guides with multiple numbers and
productions mixed up. The checklist appearing here is as complete as possible and is based upon
sightings of scans and pictures of each Production listed.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Card
Collector's Bulletin #62, http://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2012/03/topps-flipovision.html ,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html , Author's Research)

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Intact Flip-O-Vision Booklets (Courtesy Legendary Auctions)

FLIP-O-VISION CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TITLE

NOTE

BOOK

PANEL

JOE PALOOKA

AS PLAYED BY JOE KIRKWOOD...

VICTOR MOORE

"EAT THOSE WORDS"

STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN

DICK TRACY

AS PLAYED BY RALPH BYRD "DICK TRACY...

MOREY AMSTERDAM

"SWANKY HANKY"

FAMOUS COMEDIAN OF RADIO, STAGE...

BUDDY RICH

"BUBBLE BEAT"

NATIONALLY FAMOUS BAND LEADER...

HARPO MARX

"BUBBLE SMOKE'

STAR OF THE LESTER COWAN PRODUCTION...

JIMMY WAKELY

"DATING TIME"

SINGING STAR OF MONOGRAM PICTURES...

BING CROSBY

"A KNIGHT FOR LOVE"

STAR OF A "CONNECTICUT YANKEE...

JIMMY STEWART

APPEARING AS MONTY STRATTON...

INA RAY HUTTON

"SONG HIT"

WHIP WILSON

THE INK SPOTS

EXCLUSIVELY FEATURED ON DECCA RECORDS

VINCE BARNETT

"EGG NOODLE"

FAMOUS MOVIE COMEDIAN

RODDY McDOWALL

"DOLLAR SCHOLAR"

STAR OF ALLIED ARTISTS' "TUNA CLIPPER"

RODDY McDOWALL

"LOOK MOM, NO TEETH"

STAR OF ALLIED ARTISTS' "TUNA CLIPPER"

PEGGY RYAN

"YAWNING FOR YOU"

STAR OF THE EAGLE-LION RELEASE...

BERT PARKS

JOHNNY MACK BROWN

"GUN PLAY"

STAR OF "TRAIL'S END" IN A MONOGRAM...

139

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FLIP-O-VISION CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TITLE

NOTE

BOOK

PANEL

MARGARET O'BRIEN

APPEARING AS "BETH"...

RUDY VALLEE

"HAT HAPPY"

STAR OF STAGE, SCREEN AND RADIO

BURNS & ALLEN

"THE EAR BENDER"

POPULAR COMEDY RADIO STARS.

KIRK DOUGLAS

STAR OF "THE CHAMPION"...

JOHNNY DESMOND

"NUMBER PLEASE"

SINGING STAR OF THE MUTUAL NETWORK

BOB HOPE

"WHY WORRY-HOPE!!"

STAR OF "SORROWFUL JONES"...

JACK HALEY

"SMOKER JOKER"

COMEDY STAR OF "INSIDE U.S.A."

"JAVELIN ANY FUN?"

BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY

PLAYED BY JOHNNY SHEFFIELD...

TEX WILLIAMS

"GUI-TAR LONG LITTLE DOGGIE"

COWBOY STAR OF RADIO AND MOTION...

JOHNNY WEISMULLER

"JUNGLE JIM"

STAR OF COLUMBIA PICTURES'...

CHARLIE CHAN

AS PLAYED BY ROLAND WINTERS...

BILLY GILBERT

"AT-CHOO, HONEY?"

STAR OF STAGE, SCREEN AND TELEVISION

VICDAMONE

"SWOON TUNE"

SINGINS STAR OF N.B.C. AND MERCURY...

HENNYYOUNGMAN

"FIDDLE FUN"

COMIC STAR OF STAGE, SCREEN AND RADIO

THE MARX BROTHERS

"MR. MISSED HER KISSER"

STARS OF UNITED ARTISTS' "LOVE HAPPY"...

CAB CALLOWAY

"HI-DE-HO"

FAMOUS COMPOSER AND BANDLEADER

AL SCHACHT

"PITCH AND GO"

CLOWN PRINCE OF BASEBALL

LEON ERROL

"OLD FOGY STOGY"

NOW PLAYING IN MONOGRAM PICTURES...

THE ALDRICH FAMILY

"BALLOON GOONS"

PLAYED BY EZRA STONE AND JACKIE KELK...

HARPO

"LOVE HAPPY"

OF THE FAMOUS MARX BROS. ...

KAY KYSER

"IT WOODEN WHISTLE"

STAR OF THE A.B.C. NETWORK SHOW...

SENATOR CLAGHORN

"IT'S A JOKE, SON"

PLAYED BY KENNY DELMAR...

LEO GORCEY

"IT'S MOIDER"

STAR OF MONOGRAM PICTURES...

HARPO MARX

THE MARX BROTHERS (MARILYN MONROE)

250

AL SCHACHT

HARPO (MARILYN MONROE)

250

COMMON PRODUCTION (30 DETACHED)

COMMON PRODUCTION (ACCORDION PANEL)

100

SET (DETACHED)

SPEC.

SET (PANEL)

SPEC.

PANEL MULTIPLIER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

200

FIVE CENT PACK

300

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

140

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FOOTBALL

Issued As: Football

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane

Base Set Size: 120 + 1 Checklist + 5 Contest Cards

I GIANTS

4 L!71

JhiI

WsZmW

1 Emlen

Tunnel 1

HALFBACK

NEW YORK GIANTS

wiMEl

ACC #: R415-4
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: 110/220

i. & i: w -y

Mil

Topps issued their only Giant Size NFL cards in 1956, following the purchase of Bowman and acquisition
of their football license. Using a bold color scheme, where each team had backgrounds all in the same
color, only nine players from each of the twelve teams were represented, along with a team card. A team
logo and nameplate completed the obverse. The backs of the cards are well laid out and feature vital
statistics, a cartoon, text and playing stats. A checklist and five contest cards also found their way into
packs-"pushed" in as they were not printed with the rest of the set.

Cards of the Cardinals and Redskins are short printed and the generally accepted theory is that one half
sheet of 110 cards had one team while the otherwise similar half sheet had the other. Every other team
would appear twice on the half sheet except those two. Mike Thomas, a noted football card collector and
researcher, has observed a partial sheet and extrapolated how the half sheet was laid out. Thomas
believes the Redskins may have appeared at the top of the second half sheet as they seem harder to find
than the Cardinals cards.

Of note is the way the sheets were composed; each team appeared in the same row on the sheet
(although they were not consecutively numbered) and the team card would occupy either the rightmost
slot or the left in alternating rows. It also appears the teams were printed in reverse alphabetical order on
the sheet and were designed to keep repeating in this same order on the unnumbered checklist card.
Every team's card numbers increase by 12 from the prior subject's number as well.

141

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

This patterning of the cards was something Topps was just starting to do and would culminate in the
1960's in an array of different sets. It is worth noting Bowman would use patterns such as this and it may
not have been a Topps brainstorm. Here is the array as theorized by Mike Thomas:

Half Sheet A

San Francisco 49ers (Blue)
Pittsburgh Steelers (Light Green)
Philadelphia Eagles (Orange)
New York Giants (Red)
Los Angeles Rams (Red)
Green Bay Packers (Red)
Detroit Lions (Red)
Cleveland Browns (Bright Blue)
Chicago Cardinals (Pale Blue)
Chicago Bears (Yellow)
Baltimore Colts (Orange)

Half Sheet B

Washington Redskins (Bright Green)

San Francisco 49ers (Blue)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Light Green)

Philadelphia Eagles (Orange)

New York Giants (Red)

Los Angeles Rams (Red)

Green Bay Packers (Red)

Detroit Lions (Red)

Cleveland Browns (Bright Blue)

Chicago Bears (Yellow)

Baltimore Colts (Orange)

In addition to the checklist, Topps capitalized on the fact 1956 was the first year the NFL had a national
TV contract and five contest cards also could be found in the packs. The contest cards prominently
advertised Bazooka and encouraged the youths of the day to predict the scores of two games. Numbered
as 1, 2, or 3 for games of October 14th games and A and B for games on November 25 th , the contest cards
are prized today as so many were tossed or sent in to Topps. Cards advertising the November 25th games
are in somewhat shorter supply then the ones with the October 14 th tilts. A third, or "C" card from
November 25 th has long been rumored to have been issued but no evidence exists to suggest it was ever
printed or distributed.

While popular today with collectors, the 1956 Football set is somewhat lacking in rookie cards due to the
prior dominance of Bowman. This is balanced by the excellent player selection and availability of the
base cards in higher grades. The large card size is also a plus as are the team cards and the excellent
photography throughout. It is alleged that vending boxes held cards cut slightly larger than the pack
issued varieties.

(Sources: Beckett Football Card Price Guide 25 th Edition, Mike Thomas, http://footballcardgallery.com ,
PSA Set Registry, Author's Research)

PROFESSIONAL

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in the Bazooka bubble gum

FOOTBALL CONTEST

It's fun,— and it's easy, if you know your Foot-
ball Jusl write in the final scores of these two
Professional Football Gomes lo be played:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25th

Chicago Bears 4*Y S * NY. Giants

LA Rams v», Baltimore CoIk

Fill in rtiectw.e vaifi Wail ,our entry with ] Baioaka
ftiiktl «roppM f» BafOOKi (OUrm. toi to, Bioofclri
et an* urn* Mart No->errib*i 19lh

ENTER EARLY! INTER OFTEN!

■ liTITI I llll I II '

.« i suoau
n. « I. m

1956 Football Check List

(Author's Collection) 1956 Football Contest Card

142

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

JACK CARSON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

GORDON SOLTAU

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

FRANK VARRICHIONE

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

EDDIE BELL

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

ALEX WEBSTER

NEW YORK GIANTS

NORM VAN BROCKLIN

LOS ANGELES RAMS

GREEN BAY PACKERS TEAM

GREEN BAY PACKERS

LOU CREEKMUR

DETROIT LIONS

LOU GROZA

CLEVELAND BROWNS

TOM BIENEMANN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

GEORGE BLANDA

CHICAGO BEARS

ALAN AMECHE

BALTIMORE COLTS

VICJANOWICZ

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

DICK MOEGLE

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

FRAN ROGEL

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

HAL GIANCANELLI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

EMLENTUNNELL

NEW YORK GIANTS

PAUL YOUNGER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

BILL HOWTON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

JACK CHRISTIANSEN

DETROIT LIONS

DARRELL "PETE" BREWSTER

CLEVELAND BROWNS

CHICAGO CARDINALS TEAM

CHICAGO CARDINALS

ED BROWN

CHICAGO BEARS

JOECAMPANELLA

BALTIMORE COLTS

LEON HEATH

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S TEAM

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

DICK FLANAGAN

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

CHUCK BEDNARIK

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

KYLE ROTE

NEW YORK GIANTS

LES RICHTER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

HOWARD FERGUSON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

DORNE DIBBLE

DETROIT LIONS

KEN KONZ

CLEVELAND BROWNS

DAVE MANN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

RICK CASARES

CHICAGO BEARS

ART DONOVAN

BALTIMORE COLTS

CHUCK DRAZENOVICH

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

JOE ARENAS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

LYNN CHANDNOIS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES TEAM

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

ROOSEVELT BROWN

NEW YORK GIANTS

TOM FEARS

LOS ANGELES RAMS

GARY KNAFELC

GREEN BAY PACKERS

JOE SCHMIDT

DETROIT LIONS

CLEVELAND BROWNS TEAM

CLEVELAND BROWNS

LEE TEEUWS

CHICAGO CARDINALS

BILL GEORGE

CHICAGO BEARS

BALTIMORE COLTS TEAM

BALTIMORE COLTS

EDDIE LeBARON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

HUGH McELHENNY

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

TED "BUTCH" MARCHIBRODA

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

ADRIAN BURK

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

FRANK GIFFORD

NEW YORK GIANTS

CHARLES TOOGOOD

LOS ANGELES RAMS

TOBIN ROTE

GREEN BAY PACKERS

BILL STITS

DETROIT LIONS

DON COLO

CLEVELAND BROWNS

OLLIE MATSON

CHICAGO CARDINALS

HARLAN HILL

CHICAGO BEARS

LENNY MOORE

BALTIMORE COLTS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS TEAM

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

BILLY WILSON

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER"S

PITTSBURGH STEELERS TEAM

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

BOB PELLEGRINI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

KEN MacAFEE

NEW YORK GIANTS

WILLARD SHERMAN

LOS ANGELES RAMS

BOB ZATKOFF

GREEN BAY PACKERS

DAVE MIDDLETON

DETROIT LIONS

RAY REN FRO

CLEVELAND BROWNS

DON STONESIFER

CHICAGO CARDINALS

STAN JONES

CHICAGO BEARS

JIM MUTSCHELLER

BALTIMORE COLTS

VOLNEY PETERS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

LEO NOMELLINI

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S

RAY MATHEWS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

DICK BIELSKI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

CHARLIE CONERLY

NEW YORK GIANTS

ELROY HIRSCH

LOS ANGELES RAMS

BILL FORESTER

GREEN BAY PACKERS

JIM DORAN

DETROIT LIONS

FRED MORRISON

CLEVELAND BROWNS

JACK SIMMONS

CHICAGO CARDINALS

BILL McCOLL

CHICAGO BEARS

BERT RECHICHAR

BALTIMORE COLTS

JOE SCUDERO

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Y.A. TITTLE

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S

ERNIE STAUTNER

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

NORM WILLEY

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

BOBSCHNELKER

NEW YORK GIANTS

DAN TOWLER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

JOHN MARTINKOVIC

GREEN BAY PACKERS

DETROIT LIONS TEAM

DETROIT LIONS

GEORGE RATTERMAN

CLEVELAND BROWNS

CHUCK ULRICH

CHICAGO CARDINALS

BOBBY WATKINS

CHICAGO BEARS

BUDDY YOUNG

BALTIMORE COLTS

BILLY WELLS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

BOBTONEFF

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S

BILL McPEAK

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

100

BOBBY THOMASON

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

101

ROOSEVELT GRIER

NEW YORK GIANTS

102

RON WALLER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

103

BOBBY DILLON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

104

LEON HART

DETROIT LIONS

105

MIKE McCORMACK

CLEVELAND BROWNS

106

JOHN OLSZEWSKI

CHICAGO CARDINALS

107

BILL WIGHTKIN

CHICAGO BEARS

108

GEORGE SHAW

BALTIMORE COLTS

109

DALE ATKESON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

110

JOE PERRY

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S

111

DALE DODRILL

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

112

TOM SCOTT

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

113

NEW YORK GIANTS TEAM

NEW YORK GIANTS

114

LOS ANGELES RAMS TEAM

LOS ANGELES RAMS

115

AL CARMICHAEL

GREEN BAY PACKERS

116

BOBBY LAYNE

DETROIT LIONS

117

ED MODZELEWSKI

CLEVELAND BROWNS

118

LAMAR McHAN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

119

CHICAGO BEARS TEAM

CHICAGO BEARS

120

BILLY VESSELS

BALTIMORE COLTS

NNO

CHECKLIST

NNO

CONTEST CARD 1

NNO

CONTEST CARD 2

NNO

CONTEST CARD 3

NNO

CONTEST CARD A

NNO

CONTEST CARD B

JOHN CARSON

GEORGE BLANDA

CHICAGO CARDINALS TEAM

CHUCK BEDNARIK

ROOSEVELT BROWN

BILL GEORGE

EDDIE LeBARON

FRANK GIFFORD

OLLIE MATSON

LENNY MOORE

WASHINGTON REDSKINS TEAM

Y.A. TITTLE

101

ROOSEVELT GRIER

110

JOE PERRY

116

BOBBY LAYNE

120

BILLY VESSELS

NNO

CHECKLIST

NNO

CONTEST CARD 1

NNO

CONTEST CARD 2

NNO

CONTEST CARD 3

NNO

CONTEST CARD A

100

NNO

CONTEST CARD B

100

COMMON

SUPER COMMON, TEAM CARD

SHORT PRINT (CARDS, "SKINS)

SEMI STAR

BASE SET (120)

750

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

150

FIVE CENT PACK

500

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

143

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

ALAN AMECHE

BALTIMORE COLTS

JOECAMPANELLA

BALTIMORE COLTS

ART DONOVAN

BALTIMORE COLTS

BALTIMORE COLTS TEAM

BALTIMORE COLTS

LENNY MOORE

BALTIMORE COLTS

JIM MUTSCHELLER

BALTIMORE COLTS

BERT RECHICHAR

BALTIMORE COLTS

BUDDY YOUNG

BALTIMORE COLTS

108

GEORGE SHAW

BALTIMORE COLTS

120

BILLY VESSELS

BALTIMORE COLTS

GEORGE BLANDA

CHICAGO BEARS

ED BROWN

CHICAGO BEARS

RICK CASARES

CHICAGO BEARS

BILL GEORGE

CHICAGO BEARS

HARLAN HILL

CHICAGO BEARS

STAN JONES

CHICAGO BEARS

BILL McCOLL

CHICAGO BEARS

BOBBY WATKINS

CHICAGO BEARS

107

BILLWIGHTKIN

CHICAGO BEARS

119

CHICAGO BEARS TEAM

CHICAGO BEARS

TOM BIENEMANN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

CHICAGO CARDINALS TEAM

CHICAGO CARDINALS

DAVE MANN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

LEETEEUWS

CHICAGO CARDINALS

OLLIE MATSON

CHICAGO CARDINALS

DON STONESIFER

CHICAGO CARDINALS

JACK SIMMONS

CHICAGO CARDINALS

CHUCK ULRICH

CHICAGO CARDINALS

106

JOHN OLSZEWSKI

CHICAGO CARDINALS

118

LAMAR McHAN

CHICAGO CARDINALS

LOU GROZA

CLEVELAND BROWNS

DARRELL "PETE" BREWSTER

CLEVELAND BROWNS

KEN KONZ

CLEVELAND BROWNS

CLEVELAND BROWNS TEAM

CLEVELAND BROWNS

DON COLO

CLEVELAND BROWNS

RAY RENFRO

CLEVELAND BROWNS

FRED MORRISON

CLEVELAND BROWNS

GEORGE RATTERMAN

CLEVELAND BROWNS

105

MIKE McCORMACK

CLEVELAND BROWNS

117

ED MODZELEWSKI

CLEVELAND BROWNS

LOUCREEKMUR

DETROIT LIONS

JACK CHRISTIANSEN

DETROIT LIONS

DORNE DIBBLE

DETROIT LIONS

JOE SCHMIDT

DETROIT LIONS

BILL STITS

DETROIT LIONS

DAVE MIDDLETON

DETROIT LIONS

JIM DORAN

DETROIT LIONS

DETROIT LIONS TEAM

DETROIT LIONS

104

LEON HART

DETROIT LIONS

116

BOBBY LAYNE

DETROIT LIONS

GREEN BAY PACKERS TEAM

GREEN BAY PACKERS

BILL HOWTON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

HOWARD FERGUSON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

GARY KNAFELC

GREEN BAY PACKERS

55 1

TOBIN ROTE

GREEN BAY PACKERS

BOB ZATKOFF

GREEN BAY PACKERS

BILL FORESTER

GREEN BAY PACKERS

JOHN MARTINKOVIC

GREEN BAY PACKERS

103

BOBBY DILLON

GREEN BAY PACKERS

115

AL CARMICHAEL

GREEN BAY PACKERS

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

NORM VAN BROCKLIN

LOS ANGELES RAMS

PAUL YOUNGER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

LES RICHTER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

TOM FEARS

LOS ANGELES RAMS

CHARLES TOOGOOD

LOS ANGELES RAMS

WILLARD SHERMAN

LOS ANGELES RAMS

ELROY HIRSCH

LOS ANGELES RAMS

DAN TOWLER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

102

RON WALLER

LOS ANGELES RAMS

114

LOS ANGELES RAMS TEAM

LOS ANGELES RAMS

ALEX WEBSTER

NEW YORK GIANTS

EMLENTUNNELL

NEW YORK GIANTS

KYLE ROTE

NEW YORK GIANTS

ROOSEVELT BROWN

NEW YORK GIANTS

FRANK GIFFORD

NEW YORK GIANTS

KEN MacAFEE

NEW YORK GIANTS

CHARLIE CONERLY

NEW YORK GIANTS

BOBSCHNELKER

NEW YORK GIANTS

101

ROOSEVELT GRIER

NEW YORK GIANTS

113

NEW YORK GIANTS TEAM

NEW YORK GIANTS

EDDIE BELL

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

HALGIANCANELLI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

CHUCK BEDNARIK

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES TEAM

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

ADRIAN BURK

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

BOB PELLEGRINI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

DICK BIELSKI

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

NORM WILLEY

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

100

BOBBY THOMASON

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

112

TOM SCOTT

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

FRANK VARRICHIONE

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

FRAN ROGEL

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

DICK FLANAGAN

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

LYNN CHANDNOIS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

TED "BUTCH" MARCHIBRODA

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS TEAM

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

RAY MATHEWS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

ERNIE STAUTNER

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

BILL McPEAK

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

111

DALE DODRILL

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

GORDON SOLTAU

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

DICK MOEGLE

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS TEAM

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

JOE ARENAS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

HUGH McELHENNY

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

BILLY WILSON

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

LEO NOMELLINI

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Y.A. TITTLE

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

BOBTONEFF

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

110

JOE PERRY

SAN FRANCISCO 49ER'S

JACK CARSON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

VICJANOWICZ

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

LEON HEATH

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

CHUCK DRAZENOVICH

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

EDDIE LeBARON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS TEAM

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

VOLNEY PETERS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

JOE SCUDERO

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

BILLY WELLS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

109

DALE ATKESON

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

144

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FREEDOM'S WAR

Issued As: Freedom's War ACC #: R709-2

Issue Date: 1950-51 Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52 x 67 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent (with two card panels), 10 cent TCG cellophane (with two card panels)
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Base Set Size: 204 Number of Series: 2 Sheet Size: Unknown

*153

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

No. 9S in o Series of 152

HAND TO HAND STRUGGLE

J had paused to- get my bearing when the
North Korean jumped me from behind. As
I twisted away, he pulled his bayonet knife
and lunged. Slowly I twisted his wrist back-
wards until his knife fell to the ground. Then
we were evenly matched!

FREEDOM 5 UUM

g> T. C. 6. PRINTED IN U. 5. A.

A 99

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY
Ho, 3 In a Series of 7 Tanks

M-8 HOWITZER MOTOR
CARRIAGE

This mobile artillery "tank"
was rushed 10 North Africa during World
War II and was very valuable for direct and
high angle firing in the North African cam-
paigns./ It mounts a 75 mm pack how'txer,
weighs 17.25 tons, and travels about 40 mph.

- ■.. . . ■ .." ...BEND ON THE LINK .

FREEDOM 5 UJflR

U. S. ARMY PHOTO PRINTED IN U. S. A. © T. C. ©.

Less than five years after the end of World War 2, America found itself in another conflict-this time in
Korea, as the world settled into the Cold War. A war, fought by proxy against a communist enemy (U.S. vs.
China/USSR) was something the Shorin Family would fully embrace politically and commercially and soon
after hostilities broke out on June 25, 1950 Topps issued a large set called Freedom's War. With official
U.S. Military photographs and sensationalized Topps artwork, Freedom's Warwas a big, early success.

Using a nine subset numbering scheme, each with their own design element on the back, joined by some
text and the subset information plus the overall card number and which was highlighted on the retail box,
Topps cranked out an initial run of 96 tan backed cards, joined by 7 cards of tanks spanning #97-103, with
#101 coming with either an orange or yellow background, each displaying slightly different artwork of the
same tank. The set is therefore 204 cards in length, not 203 as widely checklisted elsewhere, as the two
#101's cannot be attributed to a production error. An article by Jeff and Bob Marks in The Wrapper #80
also mentions an alternate color for card #102 but this may have been incorrect or a print freak.

Also of note is the card of #57 featuring Douglas MacArthur which has a different style name plate on the
front of the card, resembling a shield and reading "GEN. DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR". This card's front almost
looks like a Fighting Marines card as it has blue and red borders, the only card in the set to come this
way, but these borders are in reverse order from Fighting Marines.

Tanks are normally found with die cutting around the fighting machine but all can also be found non-die
cut, although it is believed by some hobby veterans the yellow variation of #101 cannot be found without

145

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

the cut. The non die cut versions appear to have been deliberately produced by Topps for unknown
reasons. This initial run came without captions on the front but when the second series of 100 cards was
released they featured front caption and Topps also added captions to cards #1-96 in another tan back
run. Cards came singly in penny packs, or in two card panels sold in nickel packs and Trading Card Guild
cello packs that retailed for a dime.

Following this series, Topps then printed a run on gray stock that omitted the die cut tanks but included
captioned cards from both series. It has been speculated that production difficulties with the die cut tank
cards caused them to be dropped from the final run but outside forces were also at work. Protests from
veteran's and mother's groups forced Topps to halt production of the set in the spring of 1951, when a
third series was to have been issued. It's possible production issues and/or the protests helped tamp
down production of the tanks. Current pricing trends reveal no difference in tan vs. gray prices.

Topps President Joseph Shorin vowed they would stop selling the incendiary set and introduce a second
run of Bring 'Em Back Alive cards, which we know now became Animals of the World instead. We also
know at least one more series of Freedom's War was planned as some of the subsets never reached their
end and these truncated themes indicate at least 264 cards were planned. Topps had probably just
printed the gray back cards by this point and had not yet produced the special tank cards on that stock.
The tank cards seem very much like they were printed separately from the main set and then combined in
packs with the "regular" cards. Intriguingly, there were contemporary reports of full sets of gray backs
(without the tank cards obviously) being sold in variety stores.

This final run was probably just dumped into the market despite the pledge of Joseph Shorin and a large
number of the cards were ultimately exported. Some of these exports went to Canada and others as far as
Sweden, where similar protests erupted when they were on sale there in 1952. It is possible some of the
artwork from the subsequent Fighting Marines set was planned for inclusion in Freedom's War 'but this has
yet to be proven. Chris Benjamin has suggested that second series panels are harder to find than those
from the first series but intact panels from this era are difficult enough that this may not be entirely
provable. There is a greater disparity between the price of VG cards and EX cards in this set than almost
any other from this era, with EX conditioned cards going about five times what a VG card would bring.

The nine subsets and themes are as follows:

Subset

Battleground - Korea (Korea)

Training For Combat (U.S. Army)

Arsenal Of Democracy (Planes)

Arsenal Of Democracy (Tanks) *

Canada At Arms (Canada)

Arsenal Of Democracy (Ships)

Armed Forces Insignia (Insignia)

War Heroes (Heroes)

Armed Forces Medals (Medals)

*- Ignores variation of #101

There is a general orderliness and sequence to most of the subset numbering but occasionally a random
number from another subset appears in the midst of another, or a short run inexplicably breaks up a
different subset. The reasons for this are unclear but could have been due simple human error or certain
military subjects being deemed too gruesome to publish, necessitating a quick change of card and subset.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, The
Wrapper #80 - "Freedom's War" by Jeff and Bob Marks, Jeff Shepherd, Non-Sport Update Vol 4, No. 4 -
"Tanks for the Memories" by Bob and Jeff Marks; The Daily Worker May 2, 1951, Author's Research,
http://www1 .coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1 950.html )

As Issued

As Advertised

Missing

114

152

203

264

146

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FREEDOM'S WAR CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

THEME

SUBSET

SURPRISE ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

CLOSE CALL

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

TRAPPED

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

WOUNDED PILOT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

DIRECT HIT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

FACED WITH DEATH

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

"STAND OR DIE"

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

ROCKET BLAST

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

FLYING METAL

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

FIGHT FOR TIME

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

LOADING UP

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

HUNT FOR SNIPERS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

DANGEROUS WORK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

HOLDING THE LINE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

REINFORCEMENTS ON THE MOVE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

FIRST BLOOD

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

KEEP MOVINGI

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

BOMBS ON TARGET

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

INTO THE BREECH

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

DRY LANDING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

DEATH OF A PAL

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

POINT-BLACK FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

HEADING FOR HOME

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

HOME-MADE BOMB

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

BOUNCING BULLETS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

SIGHTS READYI

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

SUDDEN ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

THEY WON'T STOP!

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

AIR ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

RUSHED BY REDS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

JUMP TO SAFETY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

UNDER GUARD

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

MURDEROUS FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

TARGET BLASTED!

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

VILLAGE ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

STRAFING FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

"TANKS ARE COMING"

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

STRANGE WEAPON

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

THE ENEMY FALLS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

LOAD FAST!

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

PISHTOPUSAN

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

LUCKY LANDING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

EXPLODED MINE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

SENTRY LINE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

TANK RETREAT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

SHELLING OF TAEGU

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

UNARMED HEROES

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

ON GUARD

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

A DISGUISE FAILS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

WHITE PHOSPHOROUS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

RATTLING DEATH

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

BRAVERY IN THE FIELD

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

CONCENTRATED FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

STRANGE STOMACH

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

MOVING INTO ACTION

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

SNIPERS' BULLETS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

GENERAL OF THE ARMY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

FIGHTING ARMOR

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

F-80 JET

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

TANK DESTROYER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

TAN -NO CAPTION TAN-CAPTION

147

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FREEDOM'S WAR CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

THEME

SUBSET

ROCKET LAUNCHER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

TORPEDO AWAY!

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

CLOSER TO ACTION

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

LOST

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

HOWITZER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

NIGHT ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

ALONE BEHIND THE LINES

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

FAST SHOOTING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

CAREFUL AIM

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

SNIPER HUNT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

SURPRISE TARGET

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

VOLUNTEER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND- KOREA

152

FLAMETHROWINGTANK

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

FIRST JUMP

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

GAS ATTACK

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

GETTING THE RANGE

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

"CONSOLIDATED" B-46

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

TANK DESTROYER

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

RIDING ON A TANK

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

SMOKE SIGNALS

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

CAMOUFLAGE

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

BURNING A TANK

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

SEARCHLIGHT CHECKUP

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

RIN TIN TIM III

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

CONSOLIDATED B-36

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

F-80 "SHOOTING STAR"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

"SABRE" AND "TORNADO"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

B-35 "FLYING WING"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

P-47 "THUNDERBOLT"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

B-47 "STRATOJET"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

B-17 "FLYING FORTRESS"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

B-29 "SUPERFORTRESS"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

A-26 "INVADER"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

C-74 "GLOBEMASTER"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

P-36 "LIGHTNING"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

B-24 "LIBERATOR"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

M-7 HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGE

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

M10A1 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

M-8 HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGE

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

100

MEDIUM TANK M-26

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

101

M- 18 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE (ORANGE)

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

101

M-18 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE (YELLOW)

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

102

M-12 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

103

M-5 LIGHT TANK

TANKS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

104

AIRBORNE INFANTRY

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

105

UNDER FIRE

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

106

WIPING OUT SNIPERS

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

107

FLAMETHROWERS IN ACTION

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

108

UNDER THE WIRE

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

109

FOLDING A CHUTE

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

110

LOADING THE CANNON

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

111

TEAM WORK

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

112

ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

113

"AT YOUR POSTS"

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

114

"MOLOTOFF COCKTAIL"

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

115

FIGHTING MAN

U.S. ARMY

TRAINING FOR COMBAT

116

PARACHUTE GOING UP!

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

117

TANKS IN ACTION

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

118

P-61 "BLACK WIDOW"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

119

BELLX-1

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

120

C-47 "SKYTRAIN"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

TAN -NO CAPTION TAN-CAPTION

148

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FREEDOM'S WAR CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

THEME

SUBSET

121

BELL XR-13

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

122

SNOW FIGHTER

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

123

XF 92A "INTERCEPTOR"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

124

MARTIN B-51

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

125

B-45 "TORNADO"

PLANES

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

126

ARMY CADETS

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

127

V-E DAY PARADE

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

12S

STILL FLYING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

129

PRACTICE ALARM

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

130

"HERE THEY COME"

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

131

MACHINE GUN NEST

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

132

BLASTED BRIDGE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

133

GET THAT MACHINEGUN

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

134

DANGEROUS SPOT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

135

NEWS FOR HEADQUARTERS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

136

CHANGE OF COSTUME

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

137

BRAVE MEDICS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

13S

WOUNDED PAL

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

139

ROCKET BLAST

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

140

RETREAT IN THE RAIN

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

141

MOVING TANKS

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

142

RESCUE BY HELICOPTER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

143

ACTION ON THE CORNER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

144

TAKE OFF

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

145

SUBMARINE DUTY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

146

BATTLESHIP SUPPORT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

147

RUNNING FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

14S

DANGEROUS LANDING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

149

THE CORVETTE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

150

MISSING IN ACTION

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

151

MORTAR

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

NIGHT BOMBARDMENT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

153

HAND TO HAND STRUGGLE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

154

RETURN FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

152

155

LANDING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

100

152

156

READY TO FIRE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

101

152

157

TIME TO JUMP

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

102

152

15S

STARRY NIGHT

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

103

152

159

JUMPING A SENTRY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

104

152

160

SUICIDE ATTACK

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

105

152

161

ON THE RUN

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

106

152

162

DIGGING FOR SAFETY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

107

152

163

DANGEROUS JOB

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

108

152

164

STOPPING A DISTURBANCE

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

109

152

165

SUDDEN SURRENDER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

110

152

166

RED SNIPER

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

111

152

167

HOUSE TO HOUSE FIGHTING

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

112

152

16S

READY FOR ACTION

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

113

152

169

FLAMING ENEMY

KOREA

BATTLEGROUND - KOREA

114

152

170

DESTROYER

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

171

AIRCRAFT CARRIER

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

172

CRUISER

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

173

HOSPITAL SHIP

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

174

BATTLESHIP

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

175

SUBMARINE

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

176

MINESWEEPER

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

177

SUB-CHASER

SHIPS

ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY

178

10th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

179

66th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

180

76th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

TAN-CAPTION GRAY

149

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FREEDOM'S WAR CHECKLIST

TAN-CAPTION

181

98th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

182

99th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

183

GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.

HEROES

WAR HEROES

184

104th DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

185

5th AIR FORCE

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

186

14th AIR FORCE

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

187

2nd INFANTRY DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

188

8th INFANTRY DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

189

10th ARMORED DIVISION

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

190

U.S. STRATEGICAL AND TACTICAL AIR FORCE

INSIGNIA

ARMED FORCES INSIGNIA

191

SOLDIER'S MEDAL

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

192

PURPLE HEART

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

193

GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

194

AIR MEDAL

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

195

LEGION OF MERIT

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

196

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

197

VICTORY MEDAL

MEDALS

ARMED FORCES MEDALS

198

GEN. MARK W. CLARK

HEROES

WAR HEROES

199

GEN. JAMES H. DOOLITTLE

HEROES

WAR HEROES

200

GEN. GEORGE C. MARSHALL

HEROES

WAR HEROES

201

GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

HEROES

WAR HEROES

202

GEN. OMAR N. BRADLEY

HEROES

WAR HEROES

203

ARCTIC SOLDIER

CANADA

CANADA AT ARMS

SURPRISE ATTACK

GENERAL OF THE ARMY

183

GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.

201

GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

203

ARCTIC SOLDIER

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

COMMON TANK (UNPOPPED)

TANK PANEL

400

NON-DIECUTTANK

NON-DIECUT TANK (PANEL)

SET (SINGLES)

750

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

100

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

300

ONE CENT PACK

150

FIVE CENT PACK

500

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

300

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

300

Original Trading Card Guild two card panel cello's with modern reprints inside (Author's Collection)

150

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

FUNNY FOLDEES

ACC #: R708-1

Issued As: Funny Foldees

Issue Date: 1949-50 & 1955

Size: 1 3/16" x 1 9/16", 30.5 x 39.5 mm (closed); 3 3/8" x 1 9/16", 86 x 39.5 mm (opened)

Packaging: 1 cent Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 66 Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

One of the earliest Topps penny inserts to not be slid into a gum tab package, the first iteration of Funny
Foldees in 1949 (or very early 1950) came in a self-contained red, yellow and blue one cent wrapper with a
piece of bubble gum. Classed as a "metamorphic" card, these brightly colored, paper thin cards were the
template for numerous sets of a similar nature over the decades for Topps. Using a combination
verse/riddle/wry observation on two end panels that were scored to allow the purchaser to fold what
became a top and bottom flap with artwork from the reverse over a larger central illustration. Doing so
would allow the purchaser to create 9 different images when all the permutations were counted on each
of the 66 cards. The backs had illustrations on both ends and an information block that included the set
name and a number in the middle.

This colorful set had five front color schemes, bunched in groups of 11 (yellow is repeated and one card is
incorrectly sequenced) with amusing illustrations, some of which were quite risque for a children's issue.
Some pictures were so bawdy that they had to be changed when the set was reissued in 1955. These
changes are the only way to differentiate between cards from 1949 and 1955 and there are nine that were
changed, including one (019) that had two revisions. Most revisions were due to depictions of scantily
clad women. The titles refer to the main illustration on the center panel:

No.

1949 Version

1955 Version

Woman with parasol

Horse with trident

Fat man with no shirt

Fat man with shirt

Hula Girl

Clown

Woman in Flesh colored bathing suit, then
Woman in Red colored bathing suit

Animal standing

Woman in swimsuit

Turtle running

Young Woman

Cowboy

Woman in hat

Grizzled old miner

Topless Woman centaur

Red Gown covers centaur

Woman

Scholar

The front color groupings are 1-11: Yellow, 12-22: Blue, 23-33: Red, 34-44 and 55: Orange, 45-54 Green, 56-
66 Yellow. It is not known why #55 is out of sequence or for that matter why the set was reissued six
years after its first release, although Topps also reissued their 1 948 Magic Photos (as Hocus Focus) in

151

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

1955 as well so perhaps there was a master scheme regarding reissues that year. No pricing trends on the
variations have been observed, all cards are essentially priced the same in this set.

It is also possible that the issuance of the 1955 Double Header baseball set, which also had a meta-
morphic feature, albeit differently constructed, led to the reissues of Funny Foldees. It is not clear if the
packaging was changed in 1955 but wrappers are very difficult to come by and in fact had not even been
sighted in the hobby until the 1980's, when "Wrapper King" John Neuner opened a pack he had found.

The checklist is presented in numerical order, without reference to the verse, in order to make a little
more sense to those that collect the variations. Too, only the artwork variations are accounted for; some
verses were changed to reflect different artwork but it's easier to check the visual differences as the
textual changes are usually not spelled out in auctions or sale listings. Also, EX condition for this set
implies the panels have not been separated. Cards with separated panels can only be considered VG or
perhaps VG-EX at best. The set is not widely collected in the non-sports hobby but there is some interest
from paper ephemera collectors in the issue.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, The
Wrapper #241 - "Foldees-Nine Cards For A Penny!" by Bill Christensen, The Wrapper #251 - Marc Simon
letter , The Wrapper #256 "Topps Funny Foldee Variations" by Marc Simon, Mark Hellmann, Chuck
Millburn, http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/z-ns-start/all-1950.html , Author's Research)

FUNNY FOLDEES CHECKLIST

V A R I A T ION
12 3

: l

i 1

: :

: l

i 1

VARI ATIO N
1 2

cc c

CD CD

PRICING

COMMON

SET

500

ONE CENT WRAPPER

300

ONE CENT PACK

400

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

152

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

GOLDEN COIN (1948-49)

Issued As: Golden Coin
Issue Date: 1948-49
Packaging: 5 cent
Base Set Size: 33

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: PX14
Diameter: 1", 25.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: N/A

Golden Coin was probably a slow seller the first time it was issued in 1948 but that did not prevent it from
being one of Topps' most resilient issues. Timed to the U.S. election of 1948 and the subsequent
inauguration of a new President, Topps released 33 bronze coins featuring side profiles of all 32
Presidents through Harry S Truman plus a coin of the U.S. Capitol in a colorful foil package featuring
George Washington. The foil wrapper had an inner wrapper attached that featured another set called It
Happened To A President and the pack also contained an inner sleeve made of thin cardboard with red
highlights and a small text ad for Bazooka. This sleeve held the coin in a dimpled cello wrap, plus a large
slab of gum. The inner sleeve also displayed an offer for a Bazooka premium album that cost twenty five
cents and stated "Presidential Coin Inside".

The wrapper, which somewhat resembled a dollar bill advertised a Series of 33 coins, covering 1789-1949
but the premium, which was really a trifold wallet type album made of thin cardboard with slots for each
coin displaying each President's name and term, only had 32 slots, so Grover Cleveland only occupied one
space while the U.S. Capitol coin was apparently meant to be a standalone. The coins have text on the
back with a brief description or highlight for each President.

At the same time the coin set was being retailed by Topps, they were also selling a game with a 1949
copyright under their Topps for Toys sub-brand called Meet The Presidents. The game would be
manufactured after 1949 by Selchow & Righter in various, albeit reasonably similar, formats every time a
new President was elected, until 1965. The original, Topps for Toys version of the game had Golden Coins
that mostly matched those in the confectionery release. The game also came with a holder for the coins
that in its inaugural release had 32 slots so it seems pretty clear it excluded 1949's coin of the U.S.
Capitol (as does the premium folder). The game itself will be discussed in a separate and entry coins in
the later versions have some textual changes when compared to the 1948-49 Golden Coins. The 1953
version of the coins, which are aluminum, issued with the game indicate they were struck by the Osborne
Register Company of Cincinnati, Ohio (a private mint still in business) and while the Golden Coin set is
unmarked, it seems possible that firm struck them as well. The game does not include the U.S. Capitol
coin but it exists with Osborne Register Company indicia as part of the Golden Coin issue so it seems
possible Topps may have issued the set again in 1952.

Golden Coin was subject to returns from the wholesalers and it seems they were heavy. Packs of them
were included in 1950 advertisements for bulk sales of 1949 Topps products and an alternate retail box

153

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

exists that had a stapled teaser advertising two coins in every pack. It is not clear if this box is from 1949
or around 1952. Also known are coins that came in dimpled cellophane wrappers and are alleged to be
made of metallic looking plastic. It is possible this version of the coins was issued in 1952 or are
misidentified 1956 issues.

There are rumors the set was also reissued by a chain of gas stations which may also account for the
differing obverses on the coins. Golden Coins are infrequently encountered today and can be heavily
tarnished, although if properly cared for they still gleam like they were issued yesterday.

Meet The Presidents versions of Golden Coin manufactured after 1949 by Selchow & Righter had coins
made of aluminum that were slightly larger than the ones from this issue. A 1956 gum pack reissue gave
plastic "metalized" coins to purchasers instead and these measure slightly larger than the original brass
versions.

(Sources: Jeff Shepherd, Author's Research)

THIS ALBUM BELONGS TOi

AOOftESS __

CITY STATE

A COIN HISTORY OF OUR PRESIDENTS

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1111-111)

MlttM MOM

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mm
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j ms mm
1309-1311

Jllih OJIMY nm

\m-un

-££

- r

mm J.OST.
\m-\m

iilfll m mm

IMMMl

mm nms:

IlHI-]:EiI

JOHN TTLEI

IHI-1HS

j wi s it. nu

tUS-litl

Golden Coin album (Author's Collection)

154

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

GOLDEN COIN (1948-49) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

GEORGE WASHINGTON

JOHN ADAMS

THOMAS JEFFERSON

JAMES MADISON

JAMES MONROE

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ANDREW JACKSON

MARTIN VAN BUREN

WM. HENRY HARRISON

JOHN TYLER

JAMES K. POLK

ZACHARY TAYLOR

MILLARD FILLMORE

FRANKLIN PIERCE

JAMES BUCHANAN

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

ANDREW JOHNSON

ULYSSES GRANT

RUTHERFORD HAYES

JAMES A. GARFIELD

CHESTER A. ARTHUR

22 8.24

GROVER CLEVELAND

BENJAMIN HARRISON

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

WILLIAM H.TAFT

WOODROW WILSON

WARREN G.HARDING

CALVIN COOLIDGE

HERBERT C.HOOVER

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

HARRY S. TRUMAN

U.S. CAPITOL

COMMON

SET (MAY NOT INCLUDE U.S. CAPITOL]

100

WRAPPER

PACK

BOX (EMPTY)

150

ALBUM

TOSS 'EM
SAVE 'EM

MfCD BY MAKERS OF BAZOOKA
AMERICA'S FINEST BUBBLE GUM

6 8IO CHEWS — PREMIUMS- TOMIC5

FOR GOLDEN COIN
ALBUM
SEND 25c TO
BAZOOKA. BOX 20
MADISON SQ. STA.
NEW YORK. N. Y.

Inner Cardboard Sleeve front and back - held one 1948-49 Golden Coin {above and two leftmost coins below courtesy Jeff Shepherd)

Harry Truman L-R : 1948 Golden Coin (No Glasses), 1949 Meet The Presidents (Glasses), 1953 Meet The Presidents (Glasses), U.S. Capitol

"hybrid" Golden Coin front and back

155

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

GOLDEN COIN (1956)

Issued As: Golden Coin
Issue Date: 1956
Packaging: 5 cent
Base Set Size: 33/34

ACC #: PX15
Diameter: 1 1/8", 28.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: N/A

The 1956 reissue of Golden Coin brought plastic coins 1/8" wider than in 1948 and sales in Canada as the
wrapper has O-Pee-Chee manufacturing indicia and indicates production under a Topps Chewing Gum Inc.,
Brooklyn license and shows the wrapper was printed in the U.S.A. It seems odd the set would have been
issued in Canada but perhaps there was enough interest in U.S. politics that it was. The coin in 1956 was
made to look like metal but was made of plastic. However, metal versions may exist and it is unclear if
they are from a Topps issue or a third party release, possibly a gas station promotion. The interior wrapper
"extra" set of It Happened To A President carried through to 1956, although it was given strong red
highlights.

The wrapper also had a 5 cent designation and eliminated the span of years advertised in 1949. This was
wrapped around an inner cardboard sleeve with yellow and blue highlights that clearly named the set as
Golden Coin" and also featured a bald eagle in the "federal" style. The reverse of the inner sleeve carried
the set checklist. This sleeve measure 4" x 2" and is about 3/8" in depth and held the coin and gum.

The 1956 plastic coins seem to be harder to find than their earlier 1949 brass counterparts and the
reverses in 1956 featured an eagle and shield, with the words "President" and "Coin" separated by a large
number within the shield, representing each man's order in the presidential sequence. It is not entirely
clear if 33 or 34 coins were produced in 1956 as the Cleveland coin has not been sighted but it is possible
the U.S. Capitol coin issued with the set in 1948-49 was withheld.

Coins sold with the 1953 version of the Meet The Presidents game were larger, made of aluminum and
included a new coin for Dwight D, Eisenhower, elected in 1952. These game coins have text reverses, just
like the 1948-49 Golden Coins. The coins from the 1953 game indicate they were struck by the Osborne
Register Company of Cincinnati, Ohio (a private mint still in business) and while the Golden Coin set is
unmarked, it seems possible the firm struck them as well. It is not clear if an album was created for the
1956 version of the coins.

(Sources: Jeff Shepherd, Author's Research)

156

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

GOLDEN COIN (1956) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

GEORGE WASHINGTON

JOHN ADAMS

THOMAS JEFFERSON

JAMES MADISON

JAMES MONROE

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ANDREW JACKSON

MARTIN VAN BUREN

WM. HENRY HARRISON

JOHN TYLER

JAMES K. POLK

ZACHARY TAYLOR

MILLARD FILLMORE

FRANKLIN PIERCE

JAMES BUCHANAN

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

ANDREW JOHNSON

ULYSSES GRANT

RUTHERFORD HAYES

JAMES A. GARFIELD

CHESTER A. ARTHUR

22&24

GROVER CLEVELAND

BENJAMIN HARRISON

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

WILLIAM H.TAFT

WOODROW WILSON

WARREN G. HARDING

CALVIN COOLIDGE

HERBERT C. HOOVER

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

HARRY S. TRUMAN

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

PRICING

COMMON

SET

100

WRAPPER

PACK

BOX (EMPTY)

150

ALBUM

kckss washington
john shims
thomas jeffersofi

JMItS iUDISOH
JAMES MONROE
JOHN 0UINCT ADAMS
ANDREW IACKS0H
Mlinil VAN MEN

wm. ma Harrison riH

JOHN TYEE8 SSI:

tl. JAMES I POlI
II. IACHART TAYLOR
13. MILLARD FILLMORE
1*. FtAWLIN PIERCE
IS. JAMES BUCHANAN
IS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
17. ANDREW I0HNS0N

It units S. C-MNT
I). RUTHERFORD 9. HATE
20. UMES A. GARFIELD
!1. CHESTER A. ARTHUR
22. GROVER CLEVELAND
13. BENJAMIN HARRISON
U. GROVER CLEVELAND

TIM1M1

_!JLIj3«rSlwJ u

ANOTHER COIN IN EVERY PACKAG

WILLIAM MtflHLEY
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
WILLIAM H. TAFT
WOODROW WILSON
WARREN G. HAROING
CALVIN CO0WJ6S
HSRIERI C, HOOVER
FRANKLIN 0. ROOSEVELT
HAEftT S. TRUMAN
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
E

Inner Cardboard Sleeve held one 1956 Golden Coin (Author's Collection)

157

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCKEY

Issued As: Hockey
Issue Date: 1954
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 60

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R412
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 110/220?

a
=1

— H

a -

ira

=jr

-a

-r

o 1

Cra

>-<

tro

(TO

±'.

J "

Ray Timgren

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

The first Topps Hockey issue was an aesthetic pinnacle for Topps. Using oil paintings of sixty players
from the four American teams in the NHL, a league that featured a scant six teams overall at the time, the
inaugural Topps hockey issue seems to have been primarily distributed in Canada. There is an
unconfirmed story that a shipment of the cards, already packaged, was partially lost in a transportation
accident while entering Canada via Detroit. This entry point into Canada makes sense, as O-Pee-Chee
(OPC), Topps' partner in Canada, would have distributed the cards from nearby London, Ontario. It is not
clear if the cards were also distributed in Montreal or other parts of Canada.

It would also seem likely that New York saw the cards as well and possibly only in penny packs. Topps
would have been competing against Parkhurst in Canada, already into their fourth year of NHL cards in
1954. Parkhurst was also fresh off a 1953 deal with Bowman to distribute a Canadian version of Frontier
Days, an event that would certainly have caught the attention of Topps.

Production numbers would have been a fraction of Topps baseball or football; probably about half of the
football production, which itself was just a small fraction of baseball's. At a mere 60 cards (fifteen per
team) and with six in a five cent pack, it would not have taken too many purchases to complete a set or
team run. With a relatively large team logo arrayed with the painting of each player on stark white
background and with red and blue information bars at the bottom, all four borders were full bleed, making
it almost impossible to find Mint examples today. Sheet size was either 100 or 110 per half sheet as Topps
was switching to the larger size around this time; either short prints or overprints could exist.

158

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Packs came with an insert featuring both premiums and a comic. Due to Parkhurst's prior issues, there
are not many rookie cards in the set. All of the original artwork used to create the set has entered the
hobby and been sold at auction, a highly unusual situation for a Topps product.

Following this release, Topps would not issue another hockey set until 1957. Parkhurst issued a 1955 set
but not one in 1956, before returning again in 1957, although again only featuring the two Canadian teams.
This strongly suggests there was litigation involving Topps and Parkhurst following the 1954-55 season.

(Sources: Vintage Hockey Collector Price Guide 1910-1990 by Bobby Burrell, Author's Research)

HOCKEY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

TEAM

DICK GAMBLE

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

BOB CHRYSTAL

NEW YORK RANGERS

HARRY HOWELL

NEW YORK RANGERS

JOHNNY WILSON

DETROIT RED WINGS

"RED" KELLY

DETROIT RED WINGS

REAL CHEVREFILS

BOSTON BRUINS

BOB ARMSTRONG

BOSTON BRUINS

GORDIE HOWE

DETROIT RED WINGS

BENNY WOIT

DETROIT RED WINGS

LORNE WORSLEY

NEW YORK RANGERS

ANDY BATHGATE

NEW YORK RANGERS

"BUCKY" HOLLINGWORTH

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

RAY T IMG REN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JACK EVANS

NEW YORK RANGERS

PAUL RONTY

NEW YORK RANGERS

GLEN SKOV

DETROIT RED WINGS

GUS MORTSON

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

DOUG MOHNS

BOSTON BRUINS

LEO LaBINE

BOSTON BRUINS

BILL GADSBY

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JERRY TO PPAZZ INI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

WALLY HERGESHEIMER

NEW YORK RANGERS

DANNY LEWICKI

NEW YORK RANGERS

METRO PRYSTAI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

FERN FLAMAN

BOSTON BRUINS

AL ROLLINS

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

MARCEL PRONOVOST

DETROIT RED WINGS

LOUJANKOWSKI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

NICK MICKOSKI

NEW YORK RANGERS

FRANK MARTIN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

LORNE FERGUSON

BOSTON BRUINS

CAMILLE HENRY

NEW YORK RANGERS

PETE CONACHER

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

MARTY PAVELICH

DETROIT RED WINGS

DON McKENNEY

BOSTON BRUINS

FLEM MACKELL

BOSTON BRUINS

JIM HENRY

BOSTON BRUINS

HAL LAYCOE

BOSTON BRUINS

ALEX DELVECCHIO

DETROIT RED WINGS

LARRY WILSON

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

ALLAN STANLEY

NEW YORK RANGERS

RED" SULLIVAN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JACK MclNTYRE

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

IVAN IRWIN

NEW YORK RANGERS

TONY LESWICK

DETROIT RED WINGS

BOB GOLDHAM

DETROIT RED WINGS

CAL GARDNER

BOSTON BRUINS

ED SANDFORD

BOSTON BRUINS

BILLQUACKENBUSH

BOSTON BRUINS

WARREN GODFREY

BOSTON BRUINS

TED LINDSAY

DETROIT RED WINGS

EARLREIBEL

DETROIT RED WINGS

DON RALEIGH

NEW YORK RANGERS

BILL MOSIENKO

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

LARRY POPEIN

NEW YORK RANGERS

EDGAR LAPRADE

NEW YORK RANGERS

BILL DIN EEN

DETROIT RED WINGS

TERRY SAWCHUCK

DETROIT RED WINGS

MARCEL BONIN

DETROIT RED WINGS

MILT SCHMIDT

BOSTON BRUINS

REAL CHEVREFILS

BOSTON BRUINS

BOB ARMSTRONG

BOSTON BRUINS

DOUG MOHNS

BOSTON BRUINS

LEO LaBINE

BOSTON BRUINS

FERN FLAMAN

BOSTON BRUINS

LORNE FERGUSON

BOSTON BRUINS

DON McKENNEY

BOSTON BRUINS

FLEM MACKELL

BOSTON BRUINS

JIM HENRY

BOSTON BRUINS

HAL LAYCOE

BOSTON BRUINS

CAL GARDNER

BOSTON BRUINS

ED SANDFORD

BOSTON BRUINS

BILLQUACKENBUSH

BOSTON BRUINS

WARREN GODFREY

BOSTON BRUINS

MILT SCHMIDT

BOSTON BRUINS

DICK GAMBLE

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

"BUCKY" HOLLINGWORTH

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

RAYTIMGREN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

GUS MORTSON

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

BILL GADSBY

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JERRY TO PPAZZ INI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

METRO PRYSTAI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

AL ROLLINS

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

LOU JANKOW5KI

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

FRANK MARTIN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

PETE CONACHER

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

LARRY WILSON

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

RED" SULLIVAN

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JACK MclNTYRE

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

BILL MOSIENKO

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

JOHNNY WILSON

DETROIT REDWINGS

"RED" KELLY

DETROIT REDWINGS

GORDIE HOWE

DETROIT REDWINGS

BENNY WOIT

DETROIT REDWINGS

GLEN SKOV

DETROIT REDWINGS

MARCEL PRONOVOST

DETROIT REDWINGS

MARTY PAVELICH

DETROIT REDWINGS

ALEX DELVECCHIO

DETROIT REDWINGS

TONY LESWICK

DETROIT REDWINGS

BOB GOLDHAM

DETROIT REDWINGS

TED LINDSAY

DETROIT REDWINGS

EARLREIBEL

DETROIT REDWINGS

BILL DINEEN

DETROIT REDWINGS

TERRY SAWCHUCK

DETROIT REDWINGS

MARCEL BONIN

DETROIT REDWINGS

BOB CHRYSTAL

NEW YORK RANGERS

HARRY HOWELL

NEW YORK RANGERS

LORNE WORSLEY

NEW YORK RANGERS

ANDY BATHGATE

NEW YORK RANGERS

JACK EVANS

NEW YORK RANGERS

PAUL RONTY

NEW YORK RANGERS

WALLY HERGESHEIMER

NEW YORK RANGERS

DANNY LEWICKI

NEW YORK RANGERS

NICK MICKOSKI

NEW YORK RANGERS

CAMILLE HENRY

NEW YORK RANGERS

ALLAN STANLEY

NEW YORK RANGERS

IVAN IRWIN

NEW YORK RANGERS

DON RALEIGH

NEW YORK RANGERS

LARRY POPEIN

NEW YORK RANGERS

EDGAR LAPRADE

NEW YORK RANGERS

PRICING

DICK GAMBLE

NM VALUE 1,500

GORDIE HOWE

400

TERRY SAWCHUCK

200

MILT SCHMIDT

NM VALUE 1,200

COMMON

SUPER COMMON

SEMI STAR

HOF

SET

1,000

ONE CENT WRAPPER

200

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

350

ONE CENT PACK

1,500

FIVE CENT PACK

6,000

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

3,000

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

3,500

159

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCUS FOCUS

Issued As: Hocus Focus ACC #: R714-26

Issue Date: 1955

Size: "Small": 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm & "Large": 1" x 1 9/16", 25.5 x 39.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent tab, 5 cent Manufacturer: Bubbles, Inc.

Base Set Size: 96 (Small), 126 (Large) Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: Unknown

Small

Large

Hocus Focus is a clear descendant of the 1948-49 Magic Photo cards. In fact, each set's packaging
suggests both names, although only Hocus Focus carries the set name on the reverse. Moisture, sunlight
and "developing" paper were all that was needed to make a sepia picture magically appear that answered
the quiz question on the back. However, Hocus Focus is quite a mysterious issue and does not easily give
up its secrets.

Issued in two sizes, not to mention two set lengths and retail configurations, the full checklists for both
sets are still unconfirmed visually. To complicate matters, the year of issue is invariably described in
hobby references as 1955 for what are referred to as the "small" 7/8" x 1 7/16" or 22 x 36.5 mm cards and
1956 for the "large" 1" x 1 5/16" or 25 x 40 mm cards. These "small" cards were the first gum tab insert
from Topps in six years but the two sets have had co-mingled checklists for decades in the guides.

The cards were issued in both one and five cent configurations. The penny packs are almost an exact
match to the Magic Photo one cent packs but carry a 1955 copyright. The Hocus Focus card was inserted
between the outer wrapper and the inner one that protected the gum. This inner wrapper was made of foil,
not the wax paper used for some of the 1948/49 tabs and the card would have protruded out both ends of
the pack. Instructions and "developer" were on the reverse of the outer wrapper; there is some variation
in the text between the 1949 and 1955 wrappers as the former advertised an album for the cards and no
album for the Hocus Focus issues was released. Topps had been using self-contained penny packs for
years so the return to their old method of using gum tabs for distribution is curious and it could have been
a defensive move against a competitor's product. It is not clear if a one cent box was created or if the
gum tabs were also sold in a bulk, vending configuration.

The nickel packs, which bear no copyright date, were elongated and held a four card panel (or possibly
two) plus instructions, a chunk of gum and a piece of "developing paper". These are not as close a match
with the five cent Magic Photo packs but there are similarities. When compared, both types of wrappers
identify the Topps subsidiary Bubbles Inc. as the manufacturer, state "Hocus Focus" in large letters and

160

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

"Magic Photos" in smaller type. It is not clear if the Hocus Focus five cent wrapper is wax or glassine as
they are exceedingly rare.

The penny pack cards measure 7/8"x 1 7/16" but there can be up to 1/16" variance in either dimension.
The set length is almost certainly 126 cards but rarity prevents a full accounting of subjects at this date.
The nickel pack cards show perforations (actual and printed) and measure 1" x 1 9/16" (again, this can
vary slightly) and number 96 in length. There was no mixing of sizes between the one and five cent packs.
The main, overall numbering from 1-96 is consistent between both sets if you look at subjects that appear
in this run. Subjects added to the "small" set are all believed to be above No. 96, but the subset numbering
was not seamlessly carried over from one set to the other. The "small" cards also seem to tend a bit more
to a true brown sepia than do the "large" cards, which appear in most cases to be darker, approaching
true black, when developed.

The American Card Catalog number for both sets is R714-26 and the 1960 edition states 1956 as the year
of issue. This is incorrect based upon the 1955 copyright date on the penny packs, major league baseball
transactions and back descriptions concerning Ed Lopat and Johnny Schmitz. Lopat, depicted as a
Yankee, was traded from New York to the Baltimore Orioles on July 30, 1955 and would either have been
pulled from the "large" set, which had five fewer Baseball Stars when compared to the "small" set, or
identified as an Oriole if 1956 was the year of issue. The same goes for Johnny Schmitz as the southpaw
was traded to the Boston Red Sox on November 8, 1955 but is a Senator in both sizes of Hocus Focus. In
addition, the quiz question for Schmitz clearly refers to the previous season, which turns out to be 1954.
Notes found in Woody Gelman's archives also point to a common year of issue but do not identify the date
and while it would be nice to think the dating of Topps sets in a guide where Gelman was an Associate
Editor is accurate, that was not always the case, especially for the post 1952 "R" cards. These were in the
purview of Gene Nardo and are haphazardly referenced in the final version of Burdick's book. Hocus Focus
is without a doubt a 1955 issue in both sizes.

As noted above Hocus Focus cards have the set name clearly spelled out in stylized fashion on their
reverses and are often confused with Magic Photos, which do not state "Hocus Focus" anywhere on the
card. While some subjects are repeated from the 1948-49 set, they have new poses. Historically the
published checklists have been co-mingled and jumbled and usually end at No. 96. Not all cards are
confirmed above that number in the "small" set and many auction listings are inaccurate as they make no
distinction as to size, although historically the majority of cards offered are from the "large" set,

An ongoing compilation of a visual database of all Hocus Focus cards in order to disentangle the
checklists has shown the "large" cards are by far the easier of the two. The "small" set though, has
revealed itself to be the rarest retail release ever from Topps with a checklist that may never be fully
known. The most widely collected "small" subset, Baseball Stars, had a checklist with five holes in it
that were not filled until a 2009 auction unearthed three of the missing examples and a 201 1 find revealed
the other two, both population: 1.

There are eight subsets in the "large" series: 18 Baseball Stars, 15 apiece of Sports Thrills and World
Leaders, 11 Westerners, 10 each of Airplanes, Sports Cars and World Wonders and 7 Movie Stars for a
grand total of 96. Each card has an overall set number displayed in a black circle on the reverse and also
a subset numbering scheme that shows the length of each particular subset. The pictures of the powered
craft in the Airplanes subset would also be used in the Jets set in 1956 and many of the Sports Cars also
appear in World on Wheels.

The "small" subsets are not fully known, either in subject or length but five have been proved: 25 World
Leaders, 23 Baseball Stars, 20 Sports Thrills 15 World Wonders and 15 Airplanes. Four of these have five

161

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

more subjects when compared to the "large" cards and the other, ten more. The historic hobby figure of
121 cards can be discounted as Louis Pasteur is known as number 126. Also Hocus Focus "small" and
Magic Photos are the same size and the two Magic Photo series from 1948-49 were each 126 in number
and match a known uncut sheet array from that earlier era, making that figure quite plausible. Therefore,
if you add the 98 cards known to be in the aforementioned subsets, then Movie Stars (7 cards), Sports
Cars (10) and Westerners (11) would round out the 126 card set, each with the same number of cards as in
the large issue.

The breakdown of each size's subsets is as follows:

LARGE SMALL

AIRPLANES

BASEBALL STARS

MOVIE STARS

SPORTS CARS

SPORTS THRILLS

WESTERNERS

WORLD LEADERS

WORLD WONDERS

TOTAL

126

Missing subjects are always a possibility in this era but the fact that the Baseball Stars subset has had all
of its cards checklisted would indicate the "small" set was not skip numbered and a full run of the cards
was printed and distributed. The "small" cards are just about impossible to find and current estimates are
that for every 40 or so "large" cards found, a single "small" card turns up. Unfortunately, not all backs for
the Baseball Stars "small" cards have been sighted so the main numbers in the set are not fully known. It
is interesting to note that each of the sixteen Major League Baseball teams in 1955 had at least one
representative in each set.

Visually unconfirmed cards in the checklist are marked with an asterisk and all cards are priced in Very
Good condition, which is a high grade for this set and especially the "small" cards. Parts of this set
description appeared in slightly different format in issue #264 of The Wrapper. Pricing for the population 1
Baseball Stars is not shown due to only one recorded sale, which was about $1,000.00 per card, with each
in approximately Good condition. Should another example of such subjects turn up, it seems likely the
price would drop a little.

Card numbers known from auction listings but without examples being sighted are: 102, 104, 106, 107,
110, 115, 116 and 123.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, 2011
Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, Todd Riley, Bob Lemke, Author's Research)

162

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCUS FOCUS (SMALL) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TEAM

JESSE JAMES*

WESTERNERS

ROTOR CRAFT "PINWHEEL"*

AIRPLANES

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING*

WORLD WONDERS

ROGER BANNISTER*

SPORTS THRILLS

TED WILLIAMS

BASEBALL STARS

BOSTON RED SOX

AVRO "VULCAN"*

AIRPLANES

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT*

WORLD LEADERS

MELPARNELL

BASEBALL STARS

BOSTON RED SOX

EIFFEL TOWER*

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA*

SPORTS THRILLS

BAT MASTERSON*

LOCKHEED XFV-1*

AIRPLANES

JACKIE ROBINSON

BASEBALL STARS

BROOKLYN DODGERS

BUFFALO BILL

WESTERNERS

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

WORLD WONDERS

WOODROW WILSON*

DOG RACING*

SPORTS THRILLS

AVRO 707B*

AIRPLANES

SOCCER*

SPORTS THRILLS

ARS 1301*

AIRPLANES

ELDORADO BROUGHAM*

SPORTS CARS

"TRIDENT"*

AIRPLANES

KIRK DOUGLAS*

MOVIE STARS

MT. EVEREST*

WORLD WONDERS

ANTONINA ROCCA*

SPORTS THRILLS

HARVEY HADDIX

BASEBALL STARS

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

SKIING*

SPORTS THRILLS

BING CROSBY*

MOVIE STARS

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE*

WORLD WONDERS

HANKSAUER

BASEBALL STARS

CHICAGO CUBS

RAY BOONE *

BASEBALL STARS

DETROIT TIGERS

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS*

LA SALLE II SPORTS COUPE*

SPORTS CARS

JANE RUSSELL*

THE JAGUAR*

SPORTS CARS

BRITISH M.G.*

SPORTS CARS

CHARLES A. LINDBERGH*

WORLD LEADERS

LA SALLE II SPORTS COUPE*

SPORTS CARS

SUNBEAM ALPINE*

SPORTS CARS

LEANING TOWER OF PISA*

MT. RUSHMORE*

HAL SMITH

BASEBALL STARS

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

DICK GROAT

BASEBALL STARS

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

ED LOPAT *

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK YANKEES

ALFA-ROMEO*

SPORTS CARS

CONVAIR "FICON"*

AIRPLANES

THOMAS ALVA EDISON*

WORLD LEADERS

GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR*

GUSZERNIAL

BASEBALL STARS

KANSAS CITY ATHETICS

BUICK WILDCAT III *

SPORTS CARS

|_ MAYO SMITH

BASEBALL STARS

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

BARBARA STANWYCK*

MOVIE STARS

GEN. CUSTER*

WESTERNERS

ROCKY MARCIANO

SPORTS THRILLS

PYRAMIDS*

WORLD WONDERS

JAMES STEWART*

BULLFIGHTING*

SPORTS THRILLS

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

WORLD LEADERS

WILD BILL HICKOK*

WESTERNERS

"SPOOK" JACOBS

BASEBALL STARS

KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS

HOCKEY*

SPORTS THRILLS

MOTOR BOAT RACING*

SPORTS THRILLS

DIVING*

SPORTS THRILLS

PANAMA CANAL*

WORLD WONDERS

WINSTON CHURCHILL*

WORLD LEADERS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN*

WORLD LEADERS

JIM RIVERA *

BASEBALL STARS

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER*

WORLD LEADERS

AL ROSEN *

BASEBALL STARS

CLEVELAND INDIANS

BOBSLEDDING*

SPORTS THRILLS

TAJ MAHAL*

WORLD WONDERS

ANNIE OAKLEY*

WESTERNERS

163

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCUS FOCUS (SMALL) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TEAM

RODEO*

SPORTS THRILLS

ALLIGATOR WRESTLING*

SPORTS THRILLS

KURTIS*

SPORTS CARS

HINDENBURG*

AIRPLANES

NORTHROP X-4*

AIRPLANES

SAAB 210 "DRAKEN "*

AIRPLANES

TED KLUSZEWSKI

BASEBALL STARS

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

ELIZABETH II*

WORLD LEADERS

KIT CARSON*

WESTERNERS

HARRYS. TRUMAN*

WORLD LEADERS

ROBERT RYAN*

MOVIE STARS

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

BASEBALL STARS

WASHINGTON SENATORS

SAM HOUSTON

WESTERNERS

"DUSTY" RHODES *

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK GIANTS

WARREN SPAHN *

BASEBALL STARS

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

SKIN DIVING*

SPORTS THRILLS

CALAMITY JANE*

WESTERNERS

GORDON SCOTT*

MOVIE STARS

MAHATMA GANDHI*

WORLD LEADERS

DAVY CROCKETT*

WESTERNERS

BILLY THE KID*

WESTERNERS

THE BENTLEY*

SPORTS CARS

ALBERT EINSTEIN*

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER*

WORLD LEADERS

ADMIRAL RICHARD E. BYRD

WORLD LEADERS

100

GENERAL GEORGE MARSHALL

WORLD LEADERS

101

102

103

WALLY MOON

BASEBALL STARS

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

104

105

BOEING BOMARC

AIRPLANES

106

107

108

109

ED MATHEWS *

BASEBALL STARS

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

110

111

112

CHRIST OF THE ANDES

WORLD WONDERS

113

AMELIA EARHART *

114

286 1/2

SPORTS THRILLS

115

116

117

BABE RUTH *

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK YANKEES

118

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

WORLD LEADERS

119

120

121

ARCHIE MOORE

SPORTS THRILLS

122

KARL SPOONER *

BASEBALL STARS

BROOKLYN DODGERS

123

124

125

126

LOUIS PASTEUR

WORLD LEADERS

LOU GEHRIG

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK YANKEES

PRICING IREFLECTS VERY GOOD CONDITIONI

TED WILLIAMS

2500

JACKIE ROBINSON

2000

ROCKY MARCIANO

250

WARREN SPAHN

1000

109

ED MATHEWS *

1000

117

BABE RUTH *

2000

121

ARCHIE MOORE

125

LOU GEHRIG

2000

COMMON

COMMON BASEBALL STAR

500

COMMON MOVIE STAR

BETTER KNOWN SUBJECTS

SET (SINGLES)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

150

ONE CENT PACK

SPEC.

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

164

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCUS FOCUS (LARGE) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TEAM

JESSE JAMES

WESTERNERS

ROTOR CRAFT "PINWHEEL"

AIRPLANES

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

WORLD WONDERS

ROGER BANNISTER

SPORTS THRILLS

TED WILLIAMS

BASEBALL STARS

BOSTON RED SOX

AVRO "VULCAN"

AIRPLANES

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT

WORLD LEADERS

MELPARNELL

BASEBALL STARS

BOSTON RED SOX

EIFFEL TOWER

WORLD WONDERS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

SPORTS THRILLS

BAT MASTERSON*

WESTERNERS

LOCKHEED XFV-1

AIRPLANES

JACKIE ROBINSON

BASEBALL STARS

BROOKLYN DODGERS

BUFFALO BILL

WESTERNERS

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

WORLD WONDERS

WOODROW WILSON*

WORLD LEADERS

DOG RACING

SPORTS THRILLS

AVRO 707B

AIRPLANES

SOCCER

SPORTS THRILLS

ARS 1301

AIRPLANES

ELDORADO BROUGHAM

SPORTS CARS

"TRIDENT"

AIRPLANES

KIRK DOUGLAS

MOVIE STARS

MT. EVEREST

WORLD WONDERS

ANTONINA ROCCA

SPORTS THRILLS

HARVEY HADDIX

BASEBALL STARS

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

SKIING

SPORTS THRILLS

BING CROSBY

MOVIE STARS

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

WORLD WONDERS

HANKSAUER

BASEBALL STARS

CHICAGO CUBS

RAY BOONE

BASEBALL STARS

DETROIT TIGERS

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS*

WORLD LEADERS

LA SALLE II SPORTS COUPE

SPORTS CARS

JANE RUSSELL*

MOVIE STARS

THE JAGUAR

SPORTS CARS

BRITISH M.G.

SPORTS CARS

CHARLES A. LINDBERGH

WORLD LEADERS

LA SALLE II SPORTS COUPE

SPORTS CARS

SUNBEAM ALPINE

SPORTS CARS

LEANING TOWER OF PISA*

WORLD WONDERS

MT. RUSHMORE*

WORLD WONDERS

HAL SMITH

BASEBALL STARS

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

DICK GROAT

BASEBALL STARS

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

ED LOPAT

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK YANKEES

ALFA-ROMEO

SPORTS CARS

CONVAIR "FICON"

AIRPLANES

THOMAS ALVA EDISON

WORLD LEADERS

GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR

WORLD LEADERS

GUS ZERNIAL

BASEBALL STARS

KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS

BUICK WILDCAT III

SPORTS CARS

MAYO SMITH

BASEBALL STARS

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

BARBARA STANWYCK

MOVIE STARS

GEN. CUSTER

WESTERNERS

ROCKY MARCIANO

SPORTS THRILLS

PYRAMIDS

WORLD WONDERS

JAMES STEWART*

MOVIE STARS

165

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOCUS FOCUS (LARGE) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TEAM

BULLFIGHTING

SPORTS THRILLS

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

WORLD LEADERS

WILD BILL HICKOK

WESTERNERS

"SPOOK" JACOBS

BASEBALL STARS

KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS

HOCKEY

SPORTS THRILLS

MOTOR BOAT RACING

SPORTS THRILLS

DIVING

SPORTS THRILLS

PANAMA CANAL

WORLD WONDERS

WINSTON CHURCHILL

WORLD LEADERS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

WORLD LEADERS

JIM RIVERA

BASEBALL STARS

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

WORLD LEADERS

AL ROSEN

BASEBALL STARS

CLEVELAND INDIANS

BOBSLEDDING

SPORTS THRILLS

TAJ MAHAL

WORLD WONDERS

ANNIE OAKLEY

WESTERNERS

RODEO

SPORTS THRILLS

ALLIGATOR WRESTLING

SPORTS THRILLS

KURTIS

SPORTS CARS

HINDENBURG

AIRPLANES

NORTHROP X-4

AIRPLANES

SAAB 210 "DRAKEN"

AIRPLANES

TED KLUSZEWSKI

BASEBALL STARS

CINCINNATI REDLEGS

ELIZABETH II

WORLD LEADERS

KIT CARSON

WESTERNERS

HARRY S.TRUMAN

WORLD LEADERS

ROBERT RYAN

MOVIE STARS

JOHNNY SCHMITZ

BASEBALL STARS

WASHINGTON SENATORS

SAM HOUSTON

WESTERNERS

"DUSTY" RHODES

BASEBALL STARS

NEW YORK GIANTS

WARREN SPAHN

BASEBALL STARS

MILWAUKEE BRAVES

SKIN DIVING

SPORTS THRILLS

CALAMITY JANE

WESTERNERS

GORDON SCOTT

MOVIE STARS

MAHATMA GANDHI

WORLD LEADERS

DAVY CROCKETT

WESTERNERS

BILLY THE KID

WESTERNERS

THE BENTLEY

SPORTS CARS

ALBERT EINSTEIN

WORLD LEADERS

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

WORLD LEADERS

PRICING (REFLECTS VERY GOOD CONDITION)

TED WILLIAMS

750

JACKIE ROBINSON

650

ROCKY MARCIANO

100

WARREN SPAHN

250

COMMON

COMMON PANEL

150

COMMON BASEBALL STAR

125

COMMON MOVIE STAR

BETTER KNOWN SUBJECTS

SET (SINGLES)

SPEC.

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

500

FIVE CENT PACK

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

166

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOPALONG CASSIDY

Issued As: Hopalong Cassidy

Issue Date: 1950

Packaging: 1 cent, 1 cent Bond Bread promotional, 5 cent

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 238 Number of Series: 2

SILENT CONFUCT-

EPISODE 2

"STRANGE FRIENDS"
Happy and California see Lucky talking to
a notorious gamliler and thief, and then ride
off jfler him. "We'll wail here for him,"
says Hoppy, "but with all ihis money I
don't like lo btay here too long. Sgirm crook
might try to lake il!"

SEE EPISODE 3 — "LUCKY WON'T TAIK"
22 Cardi Complete SILENT CONFLICT

HOPING (Atity

CDPYRIGHTWII-UAMBOVD.t

ACC #: R712-2
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 5/8", 52.5 x 67 mm

Sheet Size: Unknown

COLLECT COMPLETE SETS
OF HOPALONG CASSIDY

MOVIE CARDS
£ DANGEROUS VENTURE, 23 Caidi
+ BORROWED TROUBLE, 24 Cardi
ft HOPPY'S HOLIDAY, 24 Cordi
tV FAlS^fARADISE. 24 Cord.
•/! UNEXPEC1EO GL1E5T, 22 Cardi
■ft DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND, 24 Cordi
■& THE DEAD DON'T DREAM. 21 Card.
■it POOL'S COLD. !4 Cold.

Every Sep Another Color

HoRMotlG (ASSty

Hopalong Cassidy was the first character driven Topps card set, created due to two kid's crazes
coinciding in a perfect storm of pop culture influence. Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy or Hoppy, as the character
and brand were nicknamed, was first known to mid-century youngsters as the star in a series of short
subjects after being the protagonist in over two dozen novels beginning in 1904. The first Hoppy movie,
running about an hour long, was released in 1935 with Hopalong played by William Boyd and portrayed as
a black outfitted cowboy who was on the good side of the law.

Hoppy, his horse Topper and two sidekicks, usually some combination of the characters Windy Halliday,
Speedy McGinnis and California Carlson, roamed the American West in over five dozen short films,
popularly categorized as "B Westerns", released through 1948. Boyd took over as producer in 1944 and
after the end of the original theatrical releases negotiated a deal to obtain the rights to the movies and,
perhaps even more importantly, the rights to license the character. He then approached NBC and struck a
deal to package the movies into a television series, which debuted locally in New York City in 1948 before
quickly gaining national network exposure the following year. The show was a smash with the kiddies.

By 1950 Boyd had arranged licensing deals in almost unprecedented fashion, as more than 100 different
manufacturers began cranking out all sorts of Hoppy gear. Topps struck a deal very early on and by the
end of the 1950 school year had released a series of 194 cards, featuring scenes from eight different
movies (or more properly, TV episodes by this point), each running around 24 cards. These were
essentially subsets and numbered as such on their reverses.

The backs (and wrappers) also contained a William Boyd copyright, the card number shown in a replica of
Hoppy's black cowboy hat, the subset (each was called an "episode") name and number and some
descriptive text. These eight subsets, each featuring black and white stills with each subset tinted a
different color, featured a foil fronted title card that was probably the result of some new technology
developed by Topps' packaging and printing vendors. These foil cards are considered highly desirable

167

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

today, especially in top condition but they are not part of each episode's subset numbering and can be
considered as an insert. The foil cards are unnumbered but can be found in two card panels or singly. The
foil's backs resembled those of the regular cards, with the eight episodes listed and advised "Every Set
Another Color".

Following the trend established earlier in the year, two card panels, easily separated, of Hopalong Cassidy
were sold in nickel packs as well singly in the still new self-contained penny packs. Nickel packs
advertised the eight episodes available on the bottom back flap and were predominantly produced in a
bright yellow color. It has not been established if all Hoppy cards came in panelized form. Penny packs
came in either white or green were also attached to a line of greeting cards issued by the Buzza Cardozo
Greeting Card Company. A promotion with Bond Bread resulted in two packs being specifically designed
for the promotion; these contained a single card and a slab of gum just like the regular packs.

After the first series ran its course, Topps issued 44 additional cards in a multicolored, garish, almost
cartoony style, representing two new episodes of 22 cards each. Intriguingly, these cards have colors and
graphic elements that mimic those of a 1950 Lone Ranger set put out by Ed-U-Cards. No foil cards were
issued along with these high numbers, which were printed in slightly lesser quantities that the low
numbers but also came panelized. It is not certain the five cent wrapper was modified to show these two
new episodes or if they were sold as a standalone second series. The cards in both series are sometimes
subject to strange, angled and practically curved cuts, no doubt the result of Topps getting the kinks out
of their cutting equipment.

The episodes and hues were produced as follows:

Numbers

1-23

21-47

48-71

72-95

96-117

118-141

142-165

166-186

187-208

209-230

The "Hopalong Cassidy" title on the backs of the Unexpected Guest and Devil's Playground episodes is
printed in a smaller font size than those of the other eight episodes for unknown reasons. It is also
unclear why the various subsets are not all either a common 22 or 24 cards in length. The checklist
eliminates quotation marks for the sake of simplicity.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
American Card Catalog, Total Television by Alex McNeil, http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/hoppy/go-
start.html , Author's Research)

Episode

Color

Subset Total

Foil Title Card

Dangerous Venture

Blue

Yes

Borrowed Trouble

Brown

Yes

Hoppy's Holiday

Pink

Yes

False Paradise

Green Sepia

Yes

Unexpected Guest

Black

Yes

Devil's Playground

Dark Green

Yes

Fool's Gold

Red

Yes

The Dead Don't Dream

Purple

Yes

Silent Conflict

Multicolored

Sinister Journey

Multicolored

22
230

168

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOPALONG CASSIDY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

TROUBLE AHEAD

DANGEROUS VENTURE

THE LYING RUSTLERS

DANGEROUS VENTURE

THE SHERIFF TALKS

DANGEROUS VENTURE

ALMOST KNIFED

DANGEROUS VENTURE

HOPPY STRIKES BACK

DANGEROUS VENTURE

SOLEMN PROMISE

DANGEROUS VENTURE

HOPPY FALLS

DANGEROUS VENTURE

READY FOR TROUBLE

DANGEROUS VENTURE

TREACHERY

DANGEROUS VENTURE

THE BARGAIN

DANGEROUS VENTURE

SHOOTING FURY

DANGEROUS VENTURE

FALSE EVIDENCE

DANGEROUS VENTURE

A CLEVER TRICK

DANGEROUS VENTURE

VICIOUS PARTNERS

DANGEROUS VENTURE

THE WOUNDED INDIAN

DANGEROUS VENTURE

DEATH STRUGGLE

DANGEROUS VENTURE

HOPPY'S WARNING

DANGEROUS VENTURE

A FATAL BOAST

DANGEROUS VENTURE

HUMAN SACRIFICE

DANGEROUS VENTURE

TWO-GUN MAN

DANGEROUS VENTURE

ON HOPPY'S TRAIL

DANGEROUS VENTURE

DEADLY CREED

DANGEROUS VENTURE

WHAT'S AHEAD?

DANGEROUS VENTURE

PAY DAY

BORROWED TROUBLE

WHERE'S CALIFORNIA

BORROWED TROUBLE

UNSEEN ENEMY

BORROWED TROUBLE

FIGHTING SCHOOL TEACHER

BORROWED TROUBLE

READY GUNS

BORROWED TROUBLE

HOPPY ARRIVES

BORROWED TROUBLE

THE THREAT

BORROWED TROUBLE

MISSING TEACHER

BORROWED TROUBLE

LOOK OUT, HOPPY

BORROWED TROUBLE

SHOOT FAST

BORROWED TROUBLE

HOPPY TEACHES

BORROWED TROUBLE

THE CLUE

BORROWED TROUBLE

CALIFORNIA'S TROUBLES

BORROWED TROUBLE

THE SECRET CABIN

BORROWED TROUBLE

SILENT DANGER

BORROWED TROUBLE

WATCH OUT, HOPPY

BORROWED TROUBLE

FLYING FISTS

BORROWED TROUBLE

GET HOPPY

BORROWED TROUBLE

AN OLD TRICK

BORROWED TROUBLE

HARD WORDS

BORROWED TROUBLE

YOU DID IT

BORROWED TROUBLE

HOPPY FACES DEATH

BORROWED TROUBLE

LUCKY APPLE

BORROWED TROUBLE

WHAT'S NEXT

BORROWED TROUBLE

BIG CELEBRATION

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

MESS IN MESA CITY

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

DON'T TRICK HOPPY

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

HOPPY'S SURPRISE

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

DANGER IN NEW DUDS

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

BATTLE WITH BANKROBBERS

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

BLAZING GUNS

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

UNEXPECTED TREASURE

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

CALIFORNIA'S ARREST

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

THE TRAP

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

MAKE CALIFORNIA TALK

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

PROTECT CALIFORNIA

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

CALIFORNIA ON THE SPOT

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

A SUDDEN SHOT

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

HOPPY IS WOUNDED

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

FIGHTING FURY

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

THE GETAWAY

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

THE POSSE RIDES

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

FIGHTING BACK

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

DESPERATE CHARGE

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

DUEL OF DEATH

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

FOUND MONEY

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

169

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOPALONG CASSIDY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

RUNAWAY

FALSE PARADISE

STOP THOSE HORSES

FALSE PARADISE

NEW NEIGHBORS

FALSE PARADISE

BAD NEWS

FALSE PARADISE

BURIED RICHES

FALSE PARADISE

BINDING SALE

FALSE PARADISE

A SECRET DISCLOSED

FALSE PARADISE

MEETING OF THE THIEVES

FALSE PARADISE

THE KNOCK-OUT

FALSE PARADISE

THE DANGEROUS LOAN

FALSE PARADISE

A BAD ACCIDENT

FALSE PARADISE

DYNAMITE ROARS

FALSE PARADISE

DEATH STRIKES

FALSE PARADISE

DANGEROUS RESCUE

FALSE PARADISE

HAPPY HOPPY

FALSE PARADISE

STRANGE ALLIANCE

FALSE PARADISE

HOPPY SEES TREACHERY

FALSE PARADISE

AMBUSH

FALSE PARADISE

SURPRISE DEFENSE

FALSE PARADISE

TRAIL THAT GANG!

FALSE PARADISE

BULLETS OF DEATH

FALSE PARADISE

CORNERED

FALSE PARADISE

PAYMENT AT GUN POINT

FALSE PARADISE

PALS TOGETHER

FALSE PARADISE

CALIFORNIA'S DEAD RELATIVES

UNEXPECTED GUEST

WAS IT MURDER?

UNEXPECTED GUEST

THE STRANGE WILL

UNEXPECTED GUEST

ANOTHER DEAD RELATIVE

UNEXPECTED GUEST

100

HUNTING THE KILLER

UNEXPECTED GUEST

101

THE TALKING DEAD

UNEXPECTED GUEST

102

INVESTIGATION HALTED

UNEXPECTED GUEST

103

ATTEMPTED MURDER

UNEXPECTED GUEST

104

BURIED WEALTH

UNEXPECTED GUEST

105

SMOKING GUNS

UNEXPECTED GUEST

106

SAFETY FIRST

UNEXPECTED GUEST

107

SECRET DRAWER

UNEXPECTED GUEST

108

SOUNDS IN THE WALL

UNEXPECTED GUEST

109

FRIEND IN TROUBLE

UNEXPECTED GUEST

110

HOPPY'S DANGER

UNEXPECTED GUEST

111

JUMP FOR LIFE

UNEXPECTED GUEST

112

TALK OR DIE

UNEXPECTED GUEST

113

MYSTERY MAN

UNEXPECTED GUEST

114

FIGHT TO THE FINISH

UNEXPECTED GUEST

115

WHO IS IT?

UNEXPECTED GUEST

116

PALS SEPARATE

UNEXPECTED GUEST

117

SUDDEN DECISION

UNEXPECTED GUEST

118

GHOST RIDERS

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

119

WOUNDED

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

120

HEADING FOR DANGER

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

121

A WARNING IGNORED

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

122

WHERE'S THE GIRL?

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

123

HIDDEN GOLD

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

124

MAP OF DEATH

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

125

RIVER FIGHT

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

126

HANDS UP

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

127

LOCKED UP

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

128

HOPPY IN JAIL

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

129

SUDDEN PAINS

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

130

ESCAPE

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

131

SEARCH FOR GOLD

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

132

STUPID SHERIFF

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

133

HOPPY IN TROUBLE

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

134

HOPPY DEFIES THE LAW

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

135

UNEXPECTED DANGER

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

136

ROBBER'S LOOT

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

137

KILL THEM ALL

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

138

OUT OF AMMUNITION

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

139

HOPPY'S SURRENDER

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

140

SMOKE SCREEN

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

141

KEEP SMILING

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

170

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOPALONG CASSIDY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

142

ACTION WANTED

FOOL'S GOLD

143

DANGEROUS MISSION

FOOL'S GOLD

144

FOLLOWED

FOOL'S GOLD

145

ORDERED TO LEAVE

FOOL'S GOLD

146

ROUGH TREATMENT

FOOL'S GOLD

147

RUNAWAY CART

FOOL'S GOLD

148

SPIDER COLLECTOR

FOOL'S GOLD

149

PROBLEM FOR CALIFORNIA

FOOL'S GOLD

150

PLANS OVERHEARD

FOOL'S GOLD

151

THE MEETING

FOOL'S GOLD

152

FORCED ACCOMPLICE

FOOL'S GOLD

153

KNOCKED OUT

FOOL'S GOLD

154

MYSTERIOUS LABORATORY

FOOL'S GOLD

155

FAKE GOLD BRICKS

FOOL'S GOLD

156

HOPPY FINDS HIS MAN

FOOL'S GOLD

157

BOUND HANDS

FOOL'S GOLD

158

DANGER OF DEATH

FOOL'S GOLD

159

TABLES ARE TURNED

FOOL'S GOLD

160

RACE AGAINST TIME

FOOL'S GOLD

161

FALSE SIGNATURE

FOOL'S GOLD

162

FLYING LASSO

FOOL'S GOLD

163

ONE MAN LESS

FOOL'S GOLD

164

VICTORY YELL

FOOL'S GOLD

165

BAR-20 AHEAD

FOOL'S GOLD

166

LUCKY'S WEDDING

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

167

MARY'S MISSING UNCLE

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

168

THE SEARCH BEGINS

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

169

A DEAD BODY

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

170

NEW SUSPECT

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

171

THE DEATH ROOM

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

172

ANOTHER DISAPPEARANCE

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

173

EVIDENCE OF MURDER

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

174

THE MISSING CORPSE

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

175

SUSPICIOUS INTRUDERS

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

176

WHERE IS THE SHERIFF?

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

177

DEAD MEN DON'T TALK

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

178

PROSPECT FOR MURDER

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

179

THE KILLER IS HERE

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

180

DEATH DESCENDS

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

181

A KILLER TRAPPED

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

182

PARTNERS IN MURDER

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

183

HOPPY BREAKS AWAY

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

184

THE SHOT

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

185

CALIFORNIA TO THE RESCUE

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

186

TOGETHER AGAIN

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

187

TOO MUCH MONEY

SILENT CONFLICT

188

STRANGE FRIENDS

SILENT CONFLICT

189

LUCKY WON'T TALK

SILENT CONFLICT

190

LUCKY TALKS TOO MUCH

SILENT CONFLICT

191

UNEXPECTED NEWS

SILENT CONFLICT

192

DANGEROUS TEA

SILENT CONFLICT

193

STOLEN GOLD

SILENT CONFLICT

194

SECRET MEETING

SILENT CONFLICT

195

HOPPY IS SUSPECTED

SILENT CONFLICT

196

ORDERS TO KILL

SILENT CONFLICT

197

QUICK ON THE DRAW

SILENT CONFLICT

198

EXPLANATION NOT WANTED

SILENT CONFLICT

199

ONE GUN FOR FOUR

SILENT CONFLICT

200

DANGER IN THE HILLS

SILENT CONFLICT

201

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MURDER

SILENT CONFLICT

202

LUCKY SHOOTS AT HIS PALS

SILENT CONFLICT

203

QUICK ACTION NEEDED

SILENT CONFLICT

204

FIGHT FOR LIFE

SILENT CONFLICT

205

BACK TO NORMAL

SILENT CONFLICT

206

HIDEOUT

SILENT CONFLICT

207

READY TO SHOOT

SILENT CONFLICT

208

A CROOK SURRENDERS

SILENT CONFLICT

171

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

HOPALONG CASSIDY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

209

RUNAWAY HORSE

SINISTER JOURNEY

210

URGENT REQUEST

SINISTER JOURNEY

211

PLOT FOR MURDER

SINISTER JOURNEY

212

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT

SINISTER JOURNEY

213

A THREAT

SINISTER JOURNEY

214

FURIOUS FISTS

SINISTER JOURNEY

215

TROUBLE BREWING

SINISTER JOURNEY

216

CALIFORNIA IN TROUBLE

SINISTER JOURNEY

217

A SHOT IN THE NIGHT

SINISTER JOURNEY

218

FALSE ACCUSATION

SINISTER JOURNEY

219

A WARNING

SINISTER JOURNEY

220

QUICK THINKING

SINISTER JOURNEY

221

UNKNOWN ENEMY

SINISTER JOURNEY

222

NAME THE KILLER

SINISTER JOURNEY

223

A TREACHEROUS SHOT

SINISTER JOURNEY

224

THE LIE

SINISTER JOURNEY

225

THE KILLER STRIKES

SINISTER JOURNEY

226

MISSING SUSPECT

SINISTER JOURNEY

227

HOPPY FINDS THE ACCUSED MAN

SINISTER JOURNEY

228

CALIFORNIA PULLS A SWITCH

SINISTER JOURNEY

229

CAUGHT

SINISTER JOURNEY

230

HOPPY'S TRICK

SINISTER JOURNEY

FOIL

HOPALONG CASSIDY IN

DANGEROUS VENTURE

FOIL

HOPALONG CASSIDY IN

BORROWED TROUBLE

FOIL

HOPALONG CASSIDY IN

HOPPY'S HOLIDAY

FOIL

CALIFORNIA, HOPPY AND LUCKY IN

FALSE PARADISE

FOIL

HOPALONG CASSIDY IN

UNEXPECTED GUEST

FOIL

HOPALONG CASSIDY IN

DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

FOIL

CALIFORNIA AND HOPPY IN

FOOL'S GOLD

FOIL

HOPLAONG CASSIDY IN

THE DEAD DON'T DREAM

PRICING

TROUBLE AHEAD

186

TOGETHER AGAIN

187

TOO MUCH MONEY

230

HOPPY'S TRICK

COMMON (1-186)

COMMON (187-230)

COMMON PANEL

FOIL CARD

200

FOIL PANEL

800

SET, WITH FOILS (SINGLES)

2000

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

250

ONE CENT PACK

150

FIVE CENT PACK

400

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

400

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

400

ONE CENT BOND BREAD WRAPPER

100

ONE CENT BOND BREAD PACK

250

172

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

IT HAPPENED TO A PRESIDENT (1948-49)

Issued As: Golden Coin, It Happened To A President

Issue Date: 1948-49

Packaging: 5 cent foil

Base Set Size: 20 Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R711-5
Size: 4 5/8" x 6 1/16", 117.5 x 154 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

A********************************* i

V'lT HAPPENED TO A PRESIDENT":

HO. 13 A TRUE INCIDENT FRO** THE LIFE OF *

JOHhl OUIMtV AOAMS. PS.6S OF THE U.S. IBIS- IBi") *

VWIti IU THE
WHtTf HOUSE, PRES-
IDENT JOHM guiKicy

ADArtS ENJOyED
SWIMMING IN THE

POTOMAC

RIVER- ONE DAY

WHILE CANOEING-

WITH A

SERVANT

NAMED

ANTOirvlE -

WE CAKl PW>DLE TO THE OTHER

SIDE AMD OO SWIMMING FRPM
THE BANK.'

DESPITE HIS MARROW EfiCAPE,
PRESIDE NT ADAMS REMAIN.E0 AM
ARDENT 5WF*1/i\INCf ENTWJStAST.

Printed on thin paper affixed to the back of a Co/den Coin wrapper (that will indicate the years 1789-1949
and advertise a series of 33), It Happened To A President presents a "true incident" from a U.S.
President's life in the format of a comic strip. Printed in sepia tones, only 20 different strips of 18
Presidents (Washington and Lincoln have two entries) were produced at a time when there had been only
33 Presidents (and 32 men) to hold the office.

The comics can separate from the Golden Coin wrapper and are essentially ruined if they do so. High
grade examples of this set are very difficult to find due to age, fragile materials and multiple folds. All
wrappers are priced in Very Good condition, which is a high grade for this set; not all sighted though.

(Sources: Non Sports Bible, Jeff Shepherd, Author's Research)

173

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

IT HAPPENED TO A PRESIDENT (1948-49) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

ANDREW JACKSON

GEORGE WASHINGTON

ULYSSES S. GRANT

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

GEORGE WASHINGTON

ANDREW JOHNSON

GROVER CLEVELAND

ZACHARY TAYLOR

JAMES MONROE

JAMES A. GARFIELD

JOHN ADAMS

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

JAMES MADISON

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

THOMAS JEFFERSON

CALVIN COOLIDGE

WOODROW WILSON

WILLIAM H. HARRISON

PRICING (REFLECTS VERY GOOD CONDITION)

COMMON

SET

700

WRAPPER

PACK

BOX (EMPTY)

150

ALBUM

Exterior Wrapper Detail (Author's Collection)

174

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

IT HAPPENED TO A PRESIDENT (1956)

Issued As: Golden Coin, It Happened To A President

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 5 cent foil

Base Set Size: 20 Number of Series: 1

IT HAPPEN El

ACC #: None
Size: 5 1/8" x 6 3/16", 130 x 157 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

EESIDENT'

/ust eereuE his inauoumtisn.

!JL/SSeS i GRANT VMS AWMTf
In THE Dt*miCT OS COLUMBIA
r-M DOIU1N6 MS CAHBIA6E TOO
RWroN PENNSYLVANIA AV1NUF
HE WAS SaduOHT SeFOBE THE
i-OCAl. JUO0C, ENABLES WUXW.

OH THAT WAS CHARGES

«oj.teb sib/ rue juooe
WHO FINED rou 4i0. TOti
WON'T WANT MM AGAIN ,'

IS THAr SO?? WELL THAT'S
THC «AN I WKi BeAPPCMMT.
FOB HE KNOWS HOW TO OO ]
HIE DUTY, lUBiSPECTlVE OF,
nchl OS STATION'

Printed on thin paper affixed to the back of a Golden Coin wrapper (that will have a 5 cent price in a green
oval at the upper left and right corners of the main graphics), It Happened To A President presents a "true
incident" from a U.S. President's life in the format of a comic strip. Printed in rich red and black tones,
only 20 different strips of 18 Presidents (Washington and Lincoln have two entries) were produced at a
time when there had been 34 Presidents (and 33 men) to hold the office.

The 1956 reissue of Golden Coin was apparently sold in Canada. Clearly identified as an O-Pee-Chee issue
licensed from Topps Chewing Gum Inc., Brooklyn and shown as printed in the U.S.A. on the wrapper, it's a
mystery why releasing a set of coins (and by association, the wrapper set within) featuring U.S. Presidents
occurred in Canada. Topps sales materials also indicate a U.S. release occurred. Another oddity is the
dating since Eisenhower was elected the 34 th President in 1952 and it would seem an update for the 1952
election would have been warranted.

175

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

As noted above, the colors are redder, blacker and richer than in 1948-49 and the wrapper is a slightly
larger size. No. 20 in the series features Dwight D. Eisenhower and it is presumed No. 20 in the earlier
series, William Henry Harrison, was pulled to make room for Ike. The comics can separate from the
Golden Coin wrapper and are essentially ruined if they do so. High grade examples of this set are very
difficult to find due to age, fragile materials and multiple folds. All wrappers are priced in Very Good
condition, which is a high grade for this set; not all sighted though.

(Sources: Non Sports Bible, Jeff Shepherd, Author's Research)

IT HAPPENED TO A PRESIDENT (1956) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

ANDREW JACKSON

GEORGE WASHINGTON

ULYSSES S. GRANT

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

GEORGE WASHINGTON

ANDREW JOHNSON

GROVER CLEVELAND

ZACHARY TAYLOR

JAMES MONROE

JAMES A. GARFIELD

JOHN ADAMS

JOHN OUINCY ADAMS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

JAMES MADISON

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

THOMAS JEFFERSON

CALVIN COOLIDGE

WOODROW WILSON

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

PRICING (REFLECTS VERY GOOD CONDITION)

COMMON

SET

400

WRAPPER

PACK

BOX (EMPTY)

150

ALBUM

Exterior Wrapper Detail (Author's Collection)

176

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

JETS

Issued As: Fighting Planes, Photo Album Jets

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent TCG cello

Base Set Size: 240 Number of Series: 2

ACC #: R707-1
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

ssa Grumman F9F-9 Tiger

29 U.S. Nivy Fifkur

One of the few operational military
planes capable of supersonic speed in
level Htjtit, Ufa F9F-3 Tiger is the
Navy's newest jet fighter, fts fat
"Coke bottle 1 ' fuselage and short thin
wings bear littie resemblance to pre-
vious aircraft in Grummarfs F9f Cou-
gar and Panther series,

©ICG. Printad in U.S.A.
SPEED I RINSE [ CEILING IgNSSWI.! SPIN

LENGTH ENGINES

Jets is a strange set. On one hand, it features the most modern of 1956's technical marvels, the jet plane,
while on the other it was produced using old technology and with black and white photos. The set also
has the smaller dimensions first introduced with Ringside and Magic Football in 1951, at a time when
Topps was at the end of their Giant Size card run. Further it was designed to be displayed in a branded
album sold with alongside the cards, barkening back to the early days of Topps.

The mostly horizontally aligned cards are made of a thin photographic stock and have the glossy fronts
one would expect using such a medium. A red title bar at the bottom features the card number, aircraft
name and its purpose. The reverses are divided into two types, thought to represent the separate series
as issued. The first 120 cards are the "Spotter Series" while the last 120 feature "Plane Facts". The
backs are divided vertically into a text block and a silhouette of the plane presented against a light
blue/gray background on the cards numbered 1-210 or a technical diagram on the cards from 121-240. The
card number is also repeated on the reverse and some vital statistics run across the bottom.

There is some repetition of subjects in the set, likely the result of carelessness on the part of Topps. Many
of the fronts and backs, while being substantially similar textually, have differences in both the aircraft
name and its purpose, with the back often offering more detail. For ease of reference the checklist uses
the names and purposes from the fronts of the cards.

It is worth noting not all 240 cards feature actual jets, some propeller planes, helicopters and assorted
airborne oddities also appear. The second series of Jets is harder to find than the first but the entire set is
quite easy to complete; albums are also fairly painless to acquire. There have been finds of both cards
and albums over the years and better conditioned cards are the norm.

Ten cent cello packs featured no markings but were sold in Trading Card Guild boxes and contained
around fifteen cards, although the number could vary. The album was a branded Trading Card Guild
product that retailed for fifteen cents and held 120 cards, six per page. This album measures
approximately 10 3/4" by 5 7/8". These came in their own box, featuring the five cent wax pack's artwork,
with 8 albums per box. The album, which had a predominantly black cover with a spot for the owner to

177

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

write his or her name, also had a short write up about the U.S. Air Force and the Ground Observer Corps
on the inside front cover, together with a paragraph and graphic on mounting cards in the album (there
were slits for each corner). The full set checklist appears on the back inside cover. The penny and nickel
packs are quite clear in calling the set Photo Album Jets, so the albums were probably available as a
point of sale accompaniment no matter which pack was being sold at retail.

An alternate one cent pack, called Fighting Planes was also released, in very limited quantity. This
featured two cards, not one, along with a piece of gum and could represent overstock being sold off but
that is unconfirmed and other purposes could also have been contemplated by Topps. A box for this
alternate title is still proving elusive. It does seem likely that this type pack came after the initial release
of Jets. Another pack called Red Ball Jets, offered by a sneaker company as a premium, is often described
as being related to this set but instead held a single Wings car A from the 1952-53 era.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Author's Research)

Jets Photo Album (courtesy Legendary Auctions)

JETS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

PURPOSE

SERIES

CESSNA CH-1

U.S. PERSONAL HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SFECMAS ARS 1301

FRENCH GLIDER

SPOTTER SERIES

LANIER "PARAPLANE"

U.S. "SAFETY" PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

SHORT S.A. 4

BRITISH LONG-RANGE BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

FIAT G. 82

ITALIAN JET TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

F7U-3 "CUTLASS"

NAVY JET FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

GYRODYNE MODEL 33

U.S. HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

F-89D SCORPION

U.S. INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

FD25B "DEFENDER"

GROUND SUPPORT FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

BOEING 707

U.S. JET TANKER-TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

PILATUS P-3

SWISS ELEMENTARY TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

KAMAN HTK-1

UTILITY NAVY HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

H.P. 80 VICTOR

BRITISH MEDIUM BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

CUSTER CCW-5

U.S. CHANNEL-WING PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

SAAB J-29C

SWEDISH PHOTO-RECON JET

SPOTTER SERIES

XA4D-1 SKYHAWK

U.S. NAVY LIGHT BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

SAAB A-32"LANSEN"

SWEDISH FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

CANADAIR SABRE MK. 5

RCAF JET FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

AVRO-CANADA CF-100

RCAF FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

FOKKERS. 13

NETHERLANDS CREW TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

GLOSTER JAVELIN

BRITISH INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

NORTHROP X-4

U.S. RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

SPOTTER SERIES

AVRO B-l "VULCAN"

BRITISH BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

SHORT S.B. 5

BRITISH RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

SPOTTER SERIES

178

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

JETS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

PURPOSE

SERIES

SAUNDERS-ROE PRINCESS

BRITISH PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

P2V-32 "NEPTUNE"

NAVY PATROL BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

KAMAN HTK-1

U.S. TURBOROTOR HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

RH-1 PINWHEEL

U.S. ROCKET HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

GRUMMAN F9F-9 TIGER

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SUPERMARINE SWIFT

BRITISH INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

MCDONNELL F3H-IN

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

COMET II

BRITISH JET AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

CORVAIR B-36D "FICON"

BOMBER-FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

YH-21 'WORKHORSE"

TRANSPORT HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

DOMAN YH-31

EVACUATION-RESCUE HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

NARDI FN 333

ITALIAN AMPHIBIAN

SPOTTER SERIES

SA-16-1 ALBATROSS

U..STRIPHIBIAN

SPOTTER SERIES

BELL X-1A

U.S. RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

SPOTTER SERIES

DE HAVILLAND 110

BRITISH INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

F-86D SABRE

U.S. JET FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SIKORSKY HR2S-1

U.S. ASSAULT HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

C-123B "AVITRUC"

ASSAULT TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

A2D SKYSHARK

U.S. NAVY ATTACK PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

COLONIAL C-l SKIMMER

U.S. AMPHIBIAN

SPOTTER SERIES

LOCKHEED XFV-1

U.S. FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SUD-OUEST VAUTOUR

FRENCH FIGHTER-BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

DHC-3 OTTER

RCAF UTILITY TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

"CANBERRA"

BRITISH MEDIUM BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

SUPERMARINE 52S

BRITISH NAVY FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

F4D SKYRAY

U.S. NAVY INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

HILLER YH-32

U.S. RAMJET HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

AERO 45

CZECH LIGHT TRANPSORT

SPOTTER SERIES

GOODYEAR ZP2N-2

U.S. NAVY BLIMP

SPOTTER SERIES

M.K.E.K. MODEL 5A

TURKISH LIGHT TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

CONVAIR SAMARITAN

U.S. HOSPITAL PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

PIASECKI H-25A

U.S. HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

VICKERS VISCOUNT

BRITISH TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

AIRSPEED AMBASSADOR

BRITISH AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

FAIREY FIREFLY

BRITISH ANTI-SUB PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

HUREL-DUBOIS H.D. 32

FRENCH CARGO PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

GYRODYNE 2C

U.S. UTILITY HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

AVRO TUDOR

BRITISH AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

FOKKERS.ll

NETHERLANDS TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

"SAFIR"

SWEDISH TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

LOCKHEED XFV-1

U.S. FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

HUNTING PERCIVAL PROVOST

BRITISH TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

MIG-15

RUSSIAN JET FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

FARNHAM FLY-CYCLE

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

SHORT SEAMEW

BRITISH ANTI-SUBMARINE PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

FAIREY VTO

BRITISH AIRCRAFT

SPOTTER SERIES

SAAB 210 DRAKEN

SWEDISH RESEARCH PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

DE HAVILLAND HERON

BRITISH AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

LOCKHEED PO-1W

U.S. NAVY RADAR PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

BRISTOL BRITANNIA

BRITISH TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

BRISTOL 173

BRITISH TRANSPORT HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

"SWIFT"

BRITISH FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SUPER CONSTELLATION

U.S. TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

B&G BEVERLY

BRITISH CARGO TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

ARMED PROVOST

BRITISH GUNNERY TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

DOUGLAS DC-7

U.S. TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

BRANTLY B-2

U.S. UTILITY HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

REGULUS

U.S. GUIDED MISSILE

SPOTTER SERIES

HUGHES XH17

U.S. 'COPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

AUSTER AIGLET

PAKISTAN AIR FORCE TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

DOUGLAS X3

U.S. AIRCRAFT

SPOTTER SERIES

SUD-EST "MISTRAL"

FRENCH JET FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

BRISTOL

BRITISH HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

GOODYEAR ZP3K

U.S. BLIMP

SPOTTER SERIES

FOUGA GEMEAUX

FRENCH TURBOJET TEST-BED

SPOTTER SERIES

"POGOSTICK"

U.S. FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

"PACKET"

AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

AMBROSINI GRIFO

ITALIAN LIGHTPLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

NELSON N-4

U.S. HOMEBUILT PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

CONVAIR YC-131C

U.S. TURBOPROP TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

GRUMMAN F9F-5 PANTHER

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

BOEING B-47E

U.S. MEDIUM BOMBER

SPOTTER SERIES

KARHU 48B

FINNISH LIGHTPLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

AUSTER B-4

BRITISH AMBULANCE-FREIGHTER

SPOTTER SERIES

SUD-EST CARAVELLE

FRENCH JET AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

100

FAIREY GANNET

BRITISH ANTI-SUBMARINE PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

179

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

JETS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

PURPOSE

SERIES

101

CONVAIR R3Y-2

U.S NAVY TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

102

SHORT SEA LAND

BRITISH AMPHIBIAN

SPOTTER SERIES

103

VICKERS VARSITY

BRITISH AIRCREW TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

104

SUD-ESTARMAGNAC

FRENCH TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

105

SUD-EST GROGNARD II

FRENCH ATTACK PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

106

BEECRAFT HONEY BEE

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

107

LOCKHEED QF-80A

U.S. TARGET DRONE

SPOTTER SERIES

108

CESSNA XL-19B

U.S. ARMY LIAISON PLANE

SPOTTER SERIES

109

ILYUSHIN IL-12A

RUSSIAN TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

110

DASSAULT MYSTERE IV

FRENCH INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

111

NORTH AMERICAN T-28A

U.S. BASIC TRAINER

SPOTTER SERIES

112

BREGUET 763

FRENCH AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

113

SUD-EST 3120

FRENCH HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

114

SUD-EST BRETAGNE

FRENCH AIRLINER

SPOTTER SERIES

115

SIKORSKY XHSS-1

U.S. HELICOPTER

SPOTTER SERIES

116

CONVAIR YF-102

U.S. INTERCEPTOR

SPOTTER SERIES

117

DE HAVILLAND BEAVER

CANADIAN TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

118

PIAGGIO P 136

ITALIAN AMPHIBIAN

SPOTTER SERIES

119

LOCKHEED YC-130A

U.S. TURBOPROP TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

120

DHA.3 DROVER

AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT

SPOTTER SERIES

121

HAMAN HOK-1

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

122

"FARFADET"

FRENCH CONVERTIPLANE

PLANE FACTS

123

SHORT SUNDERLAND

BRITISH FLYING BOAT

PLANE FACTS

124

SIPA 200 MINUET

FRENCH LIAISON PLANE

PLANE FACTS

125

SHORT SHETLAND

BRITISH FLYING BOAT

PLANE FACTS

126

POTEZ 75

FRENCH ATTACK PLANE

PLANE FACTS

127

NORD 2501 NORATLAS

FRENCH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

128

NORD 1402 NOROIT

FRENCH AMPHIBIAN

PLANE FACTS

129

MORANE SAULNIER FLEURET

FRENCH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

130

MATRA-CATANIEAU 101

FRENCH 'COPTER

PLANE FACTS

131

BREGUET 960 VULTUR

FRENCH ATTACK PLANE

PLANE FACTS

132

BEARN SUPER MINICAB

FRENCH SPORTS PLANE

PLANE FACTS

133

BEARN MINICAB

FRENCH SPORTS PLANE

PLANE FACTS

134

COMMONWEALTH SABRE

AUATRALIAN FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

135

C.A. 22 WINJEEL

AUSTRALIAN FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

136

SUPERMARINE535

BRITISH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

137

GLOSTER METEOR

BRITISH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

138

FAIREY ROTODYNE

BRITISH CONVERTIPLANE

PLANE FACTS

139

BOULTON PAUL BALLIOL

BRITISH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

140

AVRO SHACKLETON MK. 2

BRITISH BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

141

F100 SUPER SABRE

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

142

B-52 STRATOFORTRESS

U.S. JET BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

143

B-50D SUPERFORTRESS

U.S. MEDIUM BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

144

C-97A STRATOFREIGHTER

U.S. TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

145

LOCKHEED STARFIRE

U.S. INTERCEPTOR

PLANE FACTS

146

F-84F THUNDERSTREAK

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

147

FIAT G.46

ITALIAN TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

148

CESSNA 319

U.S. RESEARCH AIRPLANE

PLANE FACTS

149

NIKE

U.S. GUIDED MISSILE

PLANE FACTS

150

DOUGLAS A3D-1

U.S. NAVY ATTACK-BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

151

BEECHCRAFT MENTOR

U.S. TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

152

SIPA 300R

FRENCH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS j

153

M.S. 760 FLEURET II

FRENCH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

154

SUD-OUEST DJINN

FRENCH HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

155

SFECMAS GERFAUT

FRENCH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

156

FAIREY JET GYRODYNE

BRITISH 'COPTER

PLANE FACTS

157

FAIRCHILD PACKPLANE

U.S. TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

158

PIASECKI TRANSPORTER

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

159

FULTON AIRPHIBIAN

US AIRPLANE-AUTO

PLANE FACTS

160

EMIGH TROJAN A-2

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

161

SUD-EST BAROUDEUR

FRENCH ATTACK PLANE

PLANE FACTS

162

THALMAN T-4

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

163

FAIREY F.D. 1

BRITISH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

164

RILEY TWIN NAVION

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

165

TEMCO T-35A BUCKEROO

U.S. TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

166

TEMCO PLEBE

U.S. TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

167

AERO COMMANDER

U.S. BUSINESS PLANE

PLANE FACTS

168

BALLOON

U.S. CRAFT

PLANE FACTS

169

GRUMMAN F9F-8 COUGAR

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

170

MARTIN PSM-2 MARLIN

U.S. PATROL PLANE

PLANE FACTS

171

RF-84FTHUNDERFLASH

U.S. PHOTO RECON

PLANE FACTS

172

STITS SKY BABY

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

173

CASMUNIZ52

BRAZIL EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT

PLANE FACTS

174

HELIO COURIER

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

175

McKINNIE 165

U.S. LIGHTPLANE

PLANE FACTS

176

SUD-OUEST SO-30 ATAR

FRENCH AIRLINER

PLANE FACTS

180

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

JETS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

PURPOSE

SERIES

177

SHORT SHERPASB-4

BRITISH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

178

ROCKET

BR. GUIDED MISSILE

PLANE FACTS

179

SIKORSKY XH-39

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

180

BELLX-5

U.S. RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

PLANE FACTS

181

FOUGA CM 170R

FRENCH MILITARY TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

182

DASSAULT OURAGAN

FRENCH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

183

BOEING BOMARC

U.S. GUIDED MISSILE

PLANE FACTS

184

GLENVIEW FLYRIDE

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

185

ROCKET

BRITISH GUIDED MISSILE

PLANE FACTS

186

1. AE. 34 SUN RAY

ARGENTINE GLIDER

PLANE FACTS

187

HANDLEYPAGEC. MK. 3

BRITISH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

188

LEAR LEARSTAR

U.S. EXECUTIVE PLANE

PLANE FACTS

189

WIDEROE POLAR

NORWEGIAN UTILITY PLANE

PLANE FACTS

190

AEROCARMODEL2

U.S. FLYING AUTO

PLANE FACTS

191

BEECHCRAFT SUPER 18

U.S. BUSINESS PLANE

PLANE FACTS

192

BELL 47G-1

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

193

MARTIN XB-51

U.S. BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

194

BOEING STRATOCRUISER

U.S. TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

195

CESSNA 310

U.S. EXECUTIVE PLANE

PLANE FACTS

196

CESSNA 195

U.S. UTILITY PLANE

PLANE FACTS

197

F4U-5NL CORSAIR

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

198

SEA DART

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

199

DOUGLAS GLOBE MASTER

U.S. TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

200

DOUGLAS SKYNIGHT

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

201

DOUGLAS A-26B

U.S. ATTACK PLANE

PLANE FACTS

202

DOUGLAS R4D-8

U.S. TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

203

GRUMMAN 52F-1

U.S. ANTI-SUBMARINE PLANE

PLANE FACTS

204

GRUMMAN MALLARD

U.S. AMPHIBIAN

PLANE FACTS

205

GRUMMAN AVANGER

U.S. TORPEDO BOMBER

PLANE FACTS

206

LOCKHEED T-33A

U.S. TRAINER

|_ PLANE FACTS

207

MARTIN 4-0-4

U.S. TRANSPORT

L PLANE FACTS

208

MARTIN MODEL 270

U.S. SEAPLANE

PLANE FACTS

209

MCDONNELL XV-1

U.S. CONVERTIPLANE

PLANE FACTS

210

MOONEY"MITE"

U.S. LIGHTP LANE

PLANE FACTS

211

F-86H SABRE

U.S FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

212

NORTH AMERICAN F-51D

U.S. FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

213

PIPER TRI-PACER

U.S. LIGHTP LANE

PLANE FACTS

214

PIPER APACHE

U.S. EXECUTIVE PLANE

PLANE FACTS

215

SIKORSKY HRS

U.S. HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

216

AVRO ASHTON

BRITISH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

217

AVRO 707B

CANADAIR PATROL PLANE

PLANE FACTS

218

BRISTOL 170

BRITISH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

219

DE HAVILLANDDOVE

BRITISH EXECUTIVE

PLANE FACTS

220

DE HAVILLAND CHIPMUNK

CANADA TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

221

DE HAVILLAND SEA HORNET

BRITISH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

222

HANDLEY PAGE HERMES

BRITISH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

223

HANDLEYPAGET.MK.il

BRITISH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

224

HAWKER SEA FURY

BRITISH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

225

PERCIVAL PRINCE

BRITISH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

226

PRESTWICK PIONEER 11

SCOTTISH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

227

SUPERMARINE SEAGULL

BRITISH SEAPLANE

PLANE FACTS

228

FOLLAND MIDGE

BRITISH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

229

CAN-CAR HARVARD 11B

CANADIAN TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

230

AVRO PR-10

CANADIAN PATROL PLANE

PLANE FACTS

231

ARSENAL VG 90

FRENCH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

232

BREGUETBR. HIE

FRENCH HELICOPTER

PLANE FACTS

233

FARMAN MONITOR

FRENCH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

234

HUREL-DUBOIS H.D. 31

FRENCH TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

235

PAYEN P.A. 49

FRENCH FIGHTER

PLANE FACTS

236

SNCASE LANGUEDOC

FRENCH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

237

SUD-OUEST TRIDENT

FRENCH RESEARCH PLANE

PLANE FACTS

238

SUD-OUEST CORSE II

FRENCH LIGHT TRANSPORT

PLANE FACTS

239

TACHIKAWA RO 53

JAPANESE TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

240

NORD S.V. 4A

FRENCH TRAINER

PLANE FACTS

COMMON (1-120)

COMMON (121-240)

SET

425

ONE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT "FIGHTING PLANES" WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

ONE CENT "FIGHTING PLANES" PACK

100

FIVE CENT PACK

TEN CENT PACK

ONE CENT BOX {EMPTY)

175

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

ALBUM

ALBUM BOX (EMPTY)

181

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1949)

Issued As: Stop & Go, Cross Country
Issue Date: 1949
Packaging: 1 cent tab
Base Set Size: 100

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-11
Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

The last of the gum tab inserts, License Plates combined an old, popular trading card theme with a new
feature Topps dubbed "Auto Magic Paint" but which was really the first scratch off card they ever offered.
Issued in packs that said "Stop" on one side and "Go" on the other, there is also a "Cross Country"
notation on the bright yellow wrapper, which features a stoplight. The gum itself is wrapped in silver foil.

There were 100 different cards issued but only fifty front subjects as each back came in two varieties,
both of which were quizzes: one about a specific car and the other about a state landmark, activity or
locale. Since there were only 48 states at the time, Washington DC and Quebec were added to round out
the numbers. It appears California was incorrectly assigned a Cadillac instead of a Crosley Woody Wagon.
With 25 automobiles in the set, two states each shared a car on their reverse otherwise.

The fronts replicate existing state license plates and are quite colorful. The year 1949 is clearly shown on
all the plates. Underneath a gray scratch off material on the back lies an even more colorful scene or
automobile, which takes up about two-thirds of the reverse, with the quiz (and the carmakers logo) taking
up the other one-third. It looks like there were to have been 25 different autos featured but there are two
types of Crosley's, each of which appears twice while farming is given as a duplicate quiz answer for Iowa
and Delaware, although two different illustrations are used. The cards are unnumbered.

Like most Topps gum tab sets, License Plates can be quite difficult to find today, especially since they
appear to have been quickly pulled from production to be reissued in a larger size in early 1950. Cards
with the "Auto Magic" coating intact are original but are not more than curiosities to some. Carefully
scratched cards that are otherwise in grade can be considered to be in Excellent condition. No attempt
should be made by modern collectors to scratch off the coating as the passage of over sixty years has
essentially melded it with the card stock.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Dan Calandriello, John
Moran, Jon Hardgrove, Author's Research)

182

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1949) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

REVERSE

N0#

ALABAMA

COTTON

N0#

ALABAMA

PLYMOUTH

N0#

ARIZONA

CACTUS

N0#

ARIZONA

HUDSON

N0#

ARKANSAS

HOT SPRINGS

N0#

ARKANSAS

STUDEBAKER

N0#

CALIFORNIA

HOLLYWOOD

N0#

CALIFORNIA

CADILLAC

N0#

COLORADO

HUNTING

N0#

COLORADO

HILLMAN-MINX

N0#

CONNECTICUT

HARTFORD

N0#

CONNECTICUT

OLDSMOBILE

N0#

DELAWARE

FARMING

N0#

DELAWARE

DE SOTO

N0#

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

555 FEET (WASHINGTON MONUMENT)

N0#

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BUICK

N0#

FLORIDA

SWANEE RIVER

N0#

FLORIDA

CHEVROLET

N0#

GEORGIA

LITTLE WHITE HOUSE

N0#

GEORGIA

MORRIS

N0#

IDAHO

SHOSHONE FALLS

N0#

IDAHO

KAISER

N0#

ILLINOIS

SPRINGFIELD

N0#

ILLINOIS

CADILLAC

N0#

INDIANA

TURKEY RUN PARK

N0#

INDIANA

CHRYSLER

N0#

IOWA

FARMING

N0#

IOWA

PONTIAC

N0#

KANSAS

OIL

N0#

KANSAS

SIMCA

N0#

KENTUCKY

MAMMOTH CAVES

N0#

KENTUCKY

FORD

N0#

LOUISIANA

MARDI GRAS

N0#

LOUISIANA

PACKARD

N0#

MAINE

FISHING

N0#

MAINE

NASH

N0#

MARYLAND

CHESAPEAKE BAY

N0#

MARYLAND

AUSTIN

N0#

MASSACHUSETTS

OLD IRONSIDES

N0#

MASSACHUSETTS

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

N0#

MICHIGAN

DETROIT

N0#

MICHIGAN

FRAZER

N0#

MINNESOTA

IRON MINE ATHIBBING

N0#

MINNESOTA

LINCOLN

N0#

MISSISSIPPI

STEAMBOAT

N0#

MISSISSIPPI

DODGE

N0#

MISSOURI

MISSOURI-PACIFIC (RAILROAD)

N0#

MISSOURI

MERCURY

N0#

MONTANA

COAL

N0#

MONTANA

WILLYS JEEPSTER

AUTOS BY STATE

MARYLAND

AUSTIN

VERMONT

AUSTIN

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BUICK

NORTH DAKOTA

BUICK

CALIFORNIA

CADILLAC

ILLINOIS

CADILLAC

PENNSYLVANIA

CADILLAC

FLORIDA

CHEVROLET

OHIO

CHEVROLET

INDIANA

CHRYSLER

RHODE ISLAND

CHRYSLER

NEW JERSEY

CROSLEY (BLUE WOODY WAGON)

MASSACHUSETTS

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

VIRGINIA

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

DELAWARE

DE SOTO

NORTH CAROLINA

DE SOTO

MISSISSIPPI

DODGE

WISCONSIN

DODGE

KENTUCKY

FORD

TENNESSEE

FORD

MICHIGAN

FRAZER

WASHINGTON

FRAZER

COLORADO

HILLMAN-MINX

NEW MEXICO

HILLMAN-MINX

ARIZONA

HUDSON

NEVADA

HUDSON

IDAHO

KAISER

OREGON

KAISER

MINNESOTA

LINCOLN

WEST VIRGINIA

LINCOLN

MISSOURI

MERCURY

WYOMING

MERCURY

GEORGIA

MORRIS

OKLAHOMA

MORRIS

MAINE

NASH

UTAH

NASH

CONNECTICUT

OLDSMOBILE

NEW YORK

OLDSMOBILE

LOUISIANA

PACKARD

TEXAS

PACKARD

ALABAMA

PLYMOUTH

NEBRASKA

PLYMOUTH

IOWA

PONTIAC

SOUTH CAROLINA

PONTIAC

KANSAS

SIMCA

SOUTH DAKOTA

SIMCA

ARKANSAS

STUDEBAKER

NEW HAMPSHIRE

STUDEBAKER

MONTANA

WILLYS JEEPSTER

QUEBEC

WILLYS JEEPSTER

183

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1949) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

REVERSE

N0#

NEBRASKA

CHIMNEY ROCK

N0#

NEBRASKA

PLYMOUTH

N0#

NEVADA

RENO

N0#

NEVADA

HUDSON

N0#

NEW HAMPSHIRE

PROFILE MOUNTAIN

N0#

NEW HAMPSHIRE

STUDEBAKER

N0#

NEW JERSEY

ATLANTIC CITY

N0#

NEW JERSEY

CROSLEY {BLUE WOODY WAGON]

N0#

NEW MEXICO

SHIPROCK

N0#

NEW MEXICO

HILLMAN-MINX

N0#

NEW YORK

NIAGARA FALLS

N0#

NEW YORK

OLDSMOBILE

N0#

NORTH CAROLINA

FERNEY RIDGE GREAT SMOKY MTS.

N0#

NORTH CAROLINA

DE SOTO

IMO#

NORTH DAKOTA

THE SUN DANCE

N0#

NORTH DAKOTA

BUICK

N0#

OHIO

GALLIPOLIS, OHIO

N0#

OHIO

CHEVROLET

N0#

OKLAHOMA

INDIANS

N0#

OKLAHOMA

MORRIS

N0#

OREGON

CRATER LAKE

N0#

OREGON

KAISER

N0#

PENNSYLVANIA

PINE CREEK GORGE

N0#

PENNSYLVANIA

CADILLAC

N0#

QUEBEC

CHATEAU FRONTENAC

N0#

QUEBEC

WILLYS JEEPSTER

N0#

RHODE ISLAND

NEWPORT

N0#

RHODE ISLAND

CHRYSLER

N0#

SOUTH CAROLINA

THE PIRATE HOUSE

N0#

SOUTH CAROLINA

PONTIAC

N0#

SOUTH DAKOTA

MOUNT RUSHMORE

N0#

SOUTH DAKOTA

SIMCA

N0#

TENNESSEE

REELFOOT LAKE

N0#

TENNESSEE

FORD

N0#

TEXAS

FORT WORTH

N0#

TEXAS

PACKARD

N0#

UTAH

NATURAL SANDSTONE BRIDGE

N0#

UTAH

NASH

N0#

VERMONT

THE GREAT STONE FACE

N0#

VERMONT

AUSTIN

N0#

VIRGINIA

NATURAL BRIDGE

N0#

VIRGINIA

CROSLEY {RED SEDAN)

NO tt

WASHINGTON

LUMBER INDUSTRY

NO#

WASHINGTON

FRAZER

NO#

WEST VIRGINIA

CHARLESTON

NO#

WEST VIRGINIA

LINCOLN

N0#

WISCONSIN

DEVILS ISLAND

N0#

WISCONSIN

DODGE

NO#

WYOMING

OLD FAITHFUL

NO#

WYOMING

MERCURY

PRICING

COMMON

SET

200

ONE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

|oNE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

t---fc vnss3 '■ iv -'' , »

Unopened pack with card (Author's Collection)

184

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1950)

Issued As: Stop & Go, 1950 License Plates
Issue Date: 1950
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent

Base Set Size: 100

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-12
Size: 1 3/4" x 2 7/8", 44.5 x 73 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

Topps increased the size of the card for their lightning fast reissue of the License Plates set in 1950.
Utilizing the same license plates as in the smaller sized set of a year earlier set, Topps this time set them
against a black background and changed the year on most to reflect the mid-century mark. The reverse of
the card still contained the scratch off feature dubbed "Auto Magic" using the same drawings and indicia
from 1949 but with tiny numbers added in over the illustration, unseen until the coating was removed. The
numbering scheme was flawed as there are only 75 different numbers but 100 different fronts.

The first 25 cards, numbered 1-25, were issued in roughly reverse alphabetical order and the backs of
these feature landmarks, activities or locales from the state in question, exactly as they appeared a year
earlier. Then comes a run from 26-50 showing the remainder of the states in one instance and then, using
the same numbering, repeating the first run of 25 again in the other. Each run of 25 from #26-50 features
different plates than the other but only 25 automobiles; in other words each auto back can have one of
two different fronts. Topps therefore used the same trick they had in 1949 by doubling up the auto
reverses but it appears the numbering in 1950 confused the layout men. The automobiles are the same
ones from 1949 as well, although Topps corrected an error that gave California a Cadillac in '49; in 1950 it
is properly a Crosley Woody Wagon. The rest of the set, stretching from #51-75, features "landmarks",
completing the run of fifty states with these backs that started out with nos. 1-25.

With one exception (Quebec), the cards are ordered in descending alphabetical order within groups of five.
In addition, excepting one group of five, the "landmark" and auto card assigned to each state are 25
numbers apart. The final grouping has a mostly different spread: Alabama 46-75, Arizona 47-74, Arkansas
48-73, California 49-72 and Colorado 50-71, with Arkansas also having the "plus 25" pattern" but by
different design than in the other groupings. The lack of improvements and numbering issues speaks to
the rushed atmosphere surrounding this set and the only other release issued in this size, the 1950 Flags
of the World-Parade set, was also a set with cards that increased in size from the previous year as Topps
worked to keep pace with Bowman after the initial success of their gum tab sets.

License Plates came in both penny and unpriced nickel varieties and can be found with white backs only,
indicating but a single print run. The former housed a card and hunk of gum in a fully sealed pack. The

185

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

wrapper for the penny packs is undated but the nickel pack clearly advertises the plates are from 1950
and indeed the little faux year sticker on the front changed to 1950. The cards were issued in panels of
two for this configuration, three to a pack. As with other Topps sets sold in panels, the nickel packs and
wrappers are quite scarce. This was the second issue in a two year run for panelized sets from Topps and
surviving examples will have nubs on at least one vertical edge. It is not clear but highly probable that all
cards were issued in all configurations.

Cards with the "Auto Magic" coating intact are original but are not more than curiosities to some.
Carefully scratched cards that are otherwise in grade can be considered to be in Excellent condition. No
attempt should be made by modern collectors to scratch these off as the passage of over sixty years has
essentially melded it with the card stock. The black borders on License Plates make it very difficult to
find cards above Excellent and a premium above and beyond those normally associated with Near Mint
cards applies. There also may be short prints in the set but given the double numbering of the cards these
may be impossible to determine.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Dan
Calandriello, John Moran, Jon Hardgrove, Author's Research)

LICENSE PLATES (1950) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

REVERSE

WASHINGTON

LUMBER INDUSTRY

WEST VIRGINIA

CHARLESTON

WISCONSIN

DEVILS ISLAND

WYOMING

OLD FAITHFUL

QUEBEC

CHATEAU FRONTENAC

TENNESSEE

REELFOOT LAKE

TEXAS

FORT WORTH

UTAH

NATURAL SANDSTONE BRIDGE

VERMONT

THE GREAT STONE FACE

VIRGINIA

NATURAL BRIDGE

OREGON

CRATER LAKE

PENNSYLVANIA

PINE CREEK GORGE

RHODE ISLAND

NEWPORT

SOUTH CAROLINA

THE PIRATE HOUSE

SOUTH DAKOTA

MOUNT RUSHMORE

NEW YORK

NIAGARA FALLS

NORTH CAROLINA

FERNEY RIDGE GREAT SMOKY MTS.

NORTH DAKOTA

THE SUN DANCE

OHIO

GALLIPOLIS, OHIO

OKLAHOMA

INDIANS

NEBRASKA

CHIMNEY ROCK

NEVADA

RENO

NEW HAMPSHIRE

PROFILE MOUNTAIN

NEW JERSEY

ATLANTIC CITY

NEW MEXICO

SHIPROCK

MICHIGAN

FRAZER

WASHINGTON

FRAZER

MINNESOTA

LINCOLN

WEST VIRGINIA

LINCOLN

MISSISSIPPI

DODGE

WISCONSIN

DODGE

MISSOURI

MERCURY

WYOMING

MERCURY

MONTANA

WILLYS JEEPSTER

QUEBEC

WILLYS JEEPSTER

186

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1950) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

REVERSE

KENTUCKY

FORD

TENNESSEE

FORD

LOUISIANA

PACKARD

TEXAS

PACKARD

MAINE

NASH

UTAH

NASH

MARYLAND

AUSTIN

VERMONT

AUSTIN

MASSACHUSETTS

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

VIRGINIA

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

IDAHO

KAISER

OREGON

KAISER

ILLINOIS

CADILLAC

PENNSYLVANIA

CADILLAC

INDIANA

CHRYSLER

RHODE ISLAND

CHRYSLER

IOWA

PONTIAC

SOUTH CAROLINA

PONTIAC

KANSAS

SIMCA

SOUTH DAKOTA

SIMCA

CONNECTICUT

OLDSMOBILE

NEW YORK

OLDSMOBILE

DELAWARE

DE SOTO

NORTH CAROLINA

DE SOTO

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BUICK

NORTH DAKOTA

BUICK

FLORIDA

CHEVROLET

OHIO

CHEVROLET

GEORGIA

MORRIS

OKLAHOMA

MORRIS

ALABAMA

PLYMOUTH

NEBRASKA

PLYMOUTH

ARIZONA

HUDSON

NEVADA

HUDSON

ARKANSAS

STUDEBAKER

NEW HAMPSHIRE

STUDEBAKER

CALIFORNIA

CROSLEY (BLUE WOODY WAGON)

NEW JERSEY

CROSLEY (BLUE WOODY WAGON)

COLORADO

HILLMAN-MINX

NEW MEXICO

HILLMAN-MINX

MICHIGAN

DETROIT

MINNESOTA

IRON MINE ATHIBBING

MISSISSIPPI

STEAMBOAT

MISSOURI

MISSOURI-PACIFIC (RAILROAD)

MONTANA

COAL

KENTUCKY

MAMMOTH CAVES

LOUISIANA

MARDI GRAS

MAINE

FISHING

MARYLAND

CHESAPEAKE BAY

MASSACHUSETTS

OLD IRONSIDES

IDAHO

SHOSHONE FALLS

ILLINOIS

SPRINGFIELD

INDIANA

TURKEY RUN PARK

IOWA

FARMING

KANSAS

OIL

CONNECTICUT

HARTFORD

DELAWARE

FARMING

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

555 FEET (WASHINGTON MONUMENT)

FLORIDA

SWANEE RIVER

GEORGIA

LITTLE WHITE HOUSE

COLORADO

HUNTING

CALIFORNIA

HOLLYWOOD

ARKANSAS

HOT SPRINGS

ARIZONA

CACTUS

ALABAMA

COTTON

COMMON

SET

400

ONE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

100

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

150

187

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1950) CHECKLIST

AUTOS BY STATE

MARYLAND

AUSTIN

VERMONT

AUSTIN

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BUICK

NORTH DAKOTA

BUICK

ILLINOIS

CADILLAC

PENNSYLVANIA

CADILLAC

FLORIDA

CHEVROLET

OHIO

CHEVROLET

INDIANA

CHRYSLER

RHODE ISLAND

CHRYSLER

CALIFORNIA

CROSLEY (BLUE WOODY WAGON)

NEW JERSEY

CROSLEY (BLUE WOODY WAGON)

MASSACHUSETTS

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

VIRGINIA

CROSLEY (RED SEDAN)

DELAWARE

DE SOTO

NORTH CAROLINA

DE SOTO

MISSISSIPPI

DODGE

WISCONSIN

DODGE

KENTUCKY

FORD

TENNESSEE

FORD

MICHIGAN

FRAZER

WASHINGTON

FRAZER

COLORADO

HILLMAN-MINX

NEW MEXICO

HILLMAN-MINX

ARIZONA

HUDSON

NEVADA

HUDSON

IDAHO

KAISER

OREGON

KAISER

MINNESOTA

LINCOLN

WEST VIRGINIA

LINCOLN

MISSOURI

MERCURY

WYOMING

MERCURY

GEORGIA

MORRIS

OKLAHOMA

MORRIS

MAINE

NASH

UTAH

NASH

CONNECTICUT

OLDSMOBILE

NEW YORK

OLDSMOBILE

LOUISIANA

PACKARD

TEXAS

PACKARD

ALABAMA

PLYMOUTH

NEBRASKA

PLYMOUTH

IOWA

PONTIAC

SOUTH CAROLINA

PONTIAC

KANSAS

SIMCA

SOUTH DAKOTA

SIMCA

ARKANSAS

STUDEBAKER

NEW HAMPSHIRE

STUDEBAKER

MONTANA

WILLYS JEEPSTER

QUEBEC

WILLYS JEEPSTER

188

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LICENSE PLATES (1953)

Issued As: New License Puzzle Plates
Issue Date: 1953
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 75

Number of Series: 1

ARKANSAS 1S53

47DIDI

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

ACC #: R714-13
Size: 1 7/8" x 3 3/4", 48 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

ARKANSAS

Population: 1 ,909,51 1 — 30th Stat*
Area; 5q. mi. 53,102 — 26th in size
Entered Union; 1 836 - 25th State
Nickname: Wonder State
Largest City: Little Reck
State f lower: Apple Blossom
Speed limit: 55 miles per hour
No. of Passenger Cars: 332,222

CAPITAL: can you nami it?

FOR ANSWER HOLD C»B0 BfFOBf M'tSOU

^*& S&^.

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

After two consecutive years of issuing a License Plates set, Topps took two years off before putting out
another in 1953. The dimensions were bulked up as one axis matched that of the Giant Size cards and the
dimensions as a whole made the cards look more like an actual plate. The set also had a much more
international flavor than in years past as this table shows:

U.S. States

District of Columbia

Alaska

Canadian Provinces

Australia States

Swiss Cantons

Foreign Countries

The U.S. shakes out quite well at 50 plates if you include Alaska but Canada is short a province as
Newfoundland & Labrador was not included, perhaps as that province had only entered the confederation
in 1949. The inclusion of four Australian states is also odd as Topps was more than decade away from
licensing agreements down under and in addition left out two of the six states there at the time.
Switzerland was also under-represented with only three of twenty five Cantons included. The ordering of
the first two plates in the set appear to pay homage to Topps' two plants, in Brooklyn and Chattanooga
respectively, although the latter had been closed about a year prior to the set being issued.

The card backs are very basic with most text in blue and a quiz and "mirror image" answer in red along
with the card number on off white stock. While much more widely available than the smaller License Plate
cards of 1949-50, the 1953 set has some short printed cards. Using the standard 10 x 10, 100 card half
sheet array used by Topps at the time, the odd size of these card suggest a 14 x 10 arrangement. If the
same sheet was repeated, then there could be ten short prints; if the two half sheets were different, then
there could be 20 short prints. While there is no consensus in the hobby as to the total number of short
prints, seven numbers appear to be on more wantlists than any others: 12, 13, 40, 49, 55, 70 and 74. PSA
population reports seem to back this up. That number being half of fourteen may not be a coincidence.

189

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Topps' fascination with license plates would wane for a bit following the release of this set. It's a shame
since they finally came up with a proper card size to display the plates but three sets in five years would
seem to have exhausted the patience of even the most die-hard collector.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Author's Research,
http://www.psacard.com/pop/Detail.aspx7cg41299 , http://www.network54.com/Forum/526604/ )

LICENSE PLATES (1953) CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

NEW YORK

TENNESSEE

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

PENNSYLVANIA

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

NEVADA

NEBRASKA

MONTANA

NEW MEXICO

NEW HAMPSHIRE

INDIANA

CANADA-PROVINCE OF ALBERTA

KANSAS

IOWA

CANADA-PROV. OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLE

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

NORTH CAROLINA

MAINE

TEXAS

MARYLAND

CANADA-PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

VIRGINIA

MICHIGAN

DIST. OF COLUMBIA

WISCONSIN

MINNESOTA

MASSACHUSETTS

ALABAMA

UTAH

CANADA-PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK

CANADA-PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

VERMONT

RHODE ISLAND

ALASKA

WYOMING

SOUTH CAROLINA

NUMBER

NAME

NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

OHIO

SOUTH DAKOTA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA

OKLAHOMA

CANADA-PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA

CANTON OF BERNE, SWITZERLAND

OREGON

CANADA-PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

CANTON OF BASEL-LAND, SWITZERLAND

NORWAY

CANTON OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

CANADA-PROVINCE OF MANITOBA

TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

NORTH DAKOTA

CONNECTICUT

ARGENTINA

NEW JERSEY

BELGIUM

FRANCE

WEST VIRGINIA

ISRAEL

ITALY

WASHINGTON

NETHERLANDS

UNITED KINGDOM

MEXICO

CANADA-PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

PRICING

ILLINOIS

MISSISSIPPI

CANADA-PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK

SOUTH DAKOTA

BELGIUM

ITALY

MEXICO

COMMON

SET

325

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

125

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

190

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LOOK 'N SEE

Issued As: Look 'N See

Issue Date: 1952

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent cello (unconfirmed)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 135 Number of Series: 2

ACC #: R714-16
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm

Sheet Size: 121

ALBERT EINSTEIN

lo. 18 of 22 Famous Americans

One of the great men ol modern
science, Albert Einstein was
lermany by

United
States He is a man of

very simple tastes . . . eve:
ing lo in win-

ter. His study is furnished with
only an unpainled desk, a few
unpah is, a pencil and

paper! He likes to wear old
clothes . . . refusing to change
from his baggy pants even when
[jished visitors are coming!

f*i«ir

nsee

HOW MANY PEOPLE

UNDERSTAND EINSTEIN'S

THEORY?

While printed in a size smaller than the 1952 baseball cards, Look 'N See clearly borrows front design
elements from that set and is a classic in its own right. Using a technique first seen in 1949's X-Ray
Roundup, a piece of red cellophane that came in packs which proclaimed the purchaser could "Spy Hidden
Pictures", which were superimposed in a bluish ink on the reverse. When displayed these pictures
answered the quiz on the back of each card once the red cello "blocked" the orangish-red elements from
view. Topps would use this device on other issues in the 1950's and 1960's, which fell in line with their
philosophy of offering extra play value wherever possible. Some descriptive, although usually banal text
takes up most of the back otherwise.

The fronts are well rendered portraits of 135 famous people throughout history, with a descriptive
nameplate that also displays the subject's "occupation" and a small logo designating which subseries the
subject belonged to. Unlike some other similar sized sets of the era, Look 'N See was not produced in two
card panel form.

The set was printed in massive quantities and thanks to a surviving uncut sheet from the second series it
is possible to identify nine short prints in the high numbers, including the infamous #82 card of Rembrandt,
which is one of the legendary hobby condition rarities. There are also ten triple prints in the second
series. The probable triple prints in the first series are harder to determine.

191

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The first series can be extrapolated for the most part from the way the high numbers were arrayed,
although there is disagreement in the hobby as to what the short prints are. Based upon pricing and
population reports of graded cards, there are nine cards from the first series that likely were short printed:
4, 6, 22, 25, 26, 42, 47, 57 and 75. Pricing is not always reflective of scarcity in this set as some of the
known high number single prints do not sell for a premium, nor do #25 (Eastman) and #26 (Carver).

Series one was released around the middle of 1952, probably after Wings came out and contains 75 cards,
printed in an 11 x 11 half sheet array. Magic Football, issued a year earlier but in the same size, clocks in
at 75 subjects as well. Two possibilities exist as the most likely print sequence. The easiest one is six
rows of 11 (or a setup that mimics such rows) , which are followed by four double print rows, then a final
row that has 9 more cards and yields two additional double prints (or triple prints). Those nine single
prints in the bottom row would correlate to the nine toughest first series cards described above.

The second possible print array is four rows (or mimics) of 11, which then repeat, two rows repeating yet
again and taken from the preceding rows, leaving the last row with 9 short prints and two cards that
would be triple prints. Either scenario of the print array yields nine shortprints. There does not appear to
be an alternate half sheet; that practice appears to have been adopted by Topps the following year.

Why Topps went with such a strange arrangement for the second series bottom row is unknown, perhaps
two subjects had been planned but had to be pulled for contractual reasons, mirroring problems with the
baseball sets of this era; indeed Babe Ruth is the only athlete represented.

Some sources list Look 'N See as a 1953 or even 1953-54 issue but series two also came out in 1952 as it
is listed as a 135 card set in the 3 rd edition of the American Card Catalog released in February 1953.
Series two was reduced to sixty cards and the full array is known:

1952 TOPPS LOOK N SEE

HIGH NUMBERS UNCUTSHEET

129

117

119

128

102

129

GUTENBERG

TOSCANINI

WELLS

CURIE

KHAN

ANNEOFCLEVES

PASTEUR

TECUMSEH

VERNE

POE

GUTENBERG

134

125

123

111

104

120

116

CELLINI

LAFAYETTE

DICKENS

MORGAN

NIGHTINGALE

CARUSO

QE2ND

WILKIE

R. STEVENSON

DEWEY

CELLINI

121

132

114

109

106

121

ZOLA

HENRY VIM

SHELLEY

RALEIGH

DRAKE

NELSON

BARTON

PAINE

PENN

MACHIAVELLI

ZOLA

131

135

122

103

104

115

107

126

108

131

HUDSON

MADISON

SMITH

KIDD

WINDSOR

DA VINCI

SOUSA

MARSHALL

ERICSON

MICHELANGELO

HUDSON

100

110

127

124

100

BEAVERBROOK

DAGUERRE

NERO

ARNOLD

GALILEO

DARWIN

KAI-SHEK

ANDERSEN

ROGERS

PEARSON

BEAVERBROOK

117

119

128

102

129

POE

TOSCANINI

WELLS

CURIE

KHAN

ANNEOFCLEVES

PASTEUR

TECUMSEH

VERNE

POE

GUTENBERG

134

125

123

111

104

120

116

DEWEY

LAFAYETTE

DICKENS

MORGAN

NIGHTINGALE

CARUSO

QE2ND

WILKIE

R. STEVENSON

DEWEY

CELLINI

106

132

114

109

106

121

MACHIAVELLI

HENRY VIM

SHELLEY

RALEIGH

DRAKE

NELSON

BARTON

PAINE

PENN

MACHIAVELLI

ZOLA

108

135

122

103

104

115

107

126

108

131

MICHELANGELO

MADISON

SMITH

KIDD

WINDSOR

DA VINCI

SOUSA

MARSHALL

ERICSON

MICHELANGELO

HUDSON

110

127

124

100

PEARSON

DAGUERRE

NERO

ARNOLD

GALILEO

DARWIN

KAI-SHEK

ANDERSEN

ROGERS

PEARSON

BEAVERBROOK

113

118

101

112

130

133

113

SCOTT

A. STEVENSON

VESPUCCI

DEFOE

ROCKEFELLER

HERBERT

JOAN OF ARC

CAESAR

AMUNDSEN

SCOTT

REMBRANDT

192

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The above is a front view and the Rembrandt card, #82, is located in the bottom right corner, a problem
area for Topps for decades in terms of centering and even cutting, to the point some cards in that position
would not make it into packs. Bottom rows in general would vex Topps for decades and corner cards
were the source of many condition rarities in the hobby today.

The Second series shows signs of being rushed. Whereas the first series presents the subsets as
consecutive groups -- although the number of the card in the subset jumps around - the second series
subsets are scattered. In addition there are a number of inconsistencies and errors in the high numbers,
such as Charles Darwin being grouped within the Famous Americans subset. Also, second series cards are
not found in the same quantities as those from the first, although they are still fairly easy to find. This
suggests that sales tapered off pretty quickly but could also be indicative of Topps printing another run of
first series cards and selling them along with the high numbers.

Some artwork used in the set was repurposed for other sets, some of which were issued as much as
fifteen years later, albeit with slight modifications. Babe Ruth (the only athlete in Look 'N See) being the
most well known of these, appearing in the 1 967 Who Am I? set along with several other Look 'N See
subjects.

Much like the 1952 baseball cards, numerous returns at the end of the original sales cycle forced Topps to
sell "bricks" of overstock and singles can be found readily today, including the short prints, although
condition on these can be an issue. It is also thought vending boxes and ten cent cello packs were utilized
extensively by Topps as the one and five cent wrappers are hard to find. The inclusion of two Famous
Canadians, in what is the shortest subset of all, may reflect the view of some in the hobby that the second
series only was also sold in Canada.

The subsets break down as follows:

Series 1 Series 2

Presidents 9 World Figures 2 nd Series 19

Famous Americans 22 Famous Americans 2 nd Series 16

Military Leaders 11 Famous Writers 10

Famous Women 4 Famous Women 2nd Series 7

Explorers 6 Explorers 2 nd Series 6

Men Of The West 1 1 Famous Canadians 2

World Figures 5 60

Inventors 7

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Bill
Christensen, Author's Research)

193

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LOOK ( N SEE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

OCCUPATION

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

PRES. U.S. 1933-1945

WOODROW WILSON

PRES. U.S. 1913-1921

THOMAS JEFFERSON

PRES. U.S. 1801-1809

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

PRES. U.S. 1861-1865

HARRY TRUMAN

PRES. U.S. 1945-1953

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

PRES. U.S. 1901-1909

ULYSSES S. GRANT

PRES. U.S. 1869-1877

ANDREW JACKSON

PRES. U.S. 1829-1837

GEORGE WASHINGTON

PRES. U.S. 1789-1797

GEN. G.W. GOETHALS

ENGINEER

NATHAN HALE

PATRIOT

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY

COMPOSER

WILBUR WRIGHT

INVENTOR

JEFFERSON DAVIS

CONFEDERATE PRES.

BABE RUTH

BASEBALL PLAYER

PAUL REVERE

PATRIOT

PATRICK HENRY

PATRIOT

WASHINGTON IRVING

AUTHOR

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

PATRIOT

ALBERT EINSTEIN

SCIENTIST

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

PATRIOT

DANIEL WEBSTER

ORATOR

JAMES A. MCNEILL WHISTLER

ARTIST

PHINEAS T. BARNUM

SHOWMAN

GEORGE EASTMAN

MANUFACTURER

GEO. WASHINGTON CARVER

SCIENTIST

LUTHER BURBANK

BOTANIST

STEPHEN FOSTER

COMPOSER

MARK TWAIN

AUTHOR

COL. CHARLES A. LINDBERGH

AVIATOR

HENRY FORD

AUTOMOBILE PRODUCER

GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR

SOLDIER

COMM. OLIVER H. PERRY

NAVAL HERO

GEN. ROBERT E. LEE

SOLDIER

GEN. MATTHEW RIDGEWAY

SOLDIER

GEN. CLAIRE CHENNAULT

SOLDIER

GEN. GEORGE A. CUSTER

INDIAN FIGHTER

STEPHEN DECATUR

NAVAL HERO

GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.

SOLDIER

STONEWALL JACKSON

SOLDIER

GEN. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

SOLDIER

JOHN PAUL JONES

NAVAL HERO

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

U.N. DELEGATE

CLEOPATRA

QUEEN OF EGYPT

AMELIA EARHART

AVIATRIX

ANNIE OAKLEY

CRACK SHOT

ADMIRAL PEARY

EXPLORER

FERDINAND MAGELLAN

EXPLORER

PONCE DE LEON

EXPLORER

ADMIRAL BYRD

EXPLORER

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

EXPLORER

BALBOA

EXPLORER

KIT CARSON

SCOUT

BUFFALO BILL

SCOUT

DANIEL BOONE

PIONEER

GERONIMO

INDIAN CHIEF

JESSE JAMES

OUTLAW

SITTING BULL

INDIAN CHIEF

COCHISE

INDIAN CHIEF

WILD BILL HICKOK

SHERIFF

SAM HOUSTON

SOLDIER

BAT MASTERSON

WESTERN SHERIFF

BILLY THE KID

OUTLAW

WINSTON CHURCHILL

ENGLISH LEADER

MAHATMA GANDHI

LEADER

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

FRENCH LEADER

SIR ISAAC NEWTON

ENGLISH SCIENTIST

GUGLIELMO MARCONI

INVENTOR

SAMUEL B.F. MORSE

INVENTOR

THOMAS. A. EDISON

INVENTOR

cyrus h. Mccormick

INVENTOR

ROBERT FULTON

INVENTOR

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

INVENTOR

ELIAS HOWE

INVENTOR

SUBSET

PRESIDENTS

FAMOUS AMERICANS

MILITARY LEADERS

FAMOUS WOMEN

EXPLORERS

MEN OF THE WEST

WORLD FIGURES

INVENTORS

194

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

LOOK ( N SEE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

OCCUPATION

LOUIS PASTEUR

SCIENTIST

WILLIAM PENN

AMERICAN PATRIOT

THOMAS PAINE

WRITER

EDGAR ALLEN POE

WRITER

WILL ROGERS

HUMORIST

SIR WALTER RALEIGH

EXPLORER

REMBRANDT

ARTIST

CLARA BARTON

HUMANITARIAN

JULIUS CAESAR

ROMAN EMPEROR

CHIANG KAI-SHEK

CHINESE GENERAL

BENVENUTO CELLINI

ARTIST

MARIE CURIE

SCIENTIST

ROALD AMUNDSEN

EXPLORER

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON

WRITER

BENEDICT ARNOLD

TRAITOR

ENRICO CARUSO

SINGER

LOUIS DAGUERRE

INVENTOR

ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY

NAVAL HERO

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

EXPLORER

ALFRED E.SMITH

STATESMAN

TECUMSEH

INDIAN CHIEF

JULES VERNE

WRITER

ADLAI STEVENSON

STATESMAN

LESTER B. PEARSON

U.N. DELEGATE

100

LORD WILLIAM BEAVERBROOK

STATESMAN

101

DANIEL DE FOE

AUTHOR

102

ANNEOFCLEVES

QUEEN OF ENGLAND

103

DUKE OF WINDSOR

KING OF ENGLAND 1936

104

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

QUEEN OF ENGLAND

105

LEONARDO DA VINCI

ARTIST

106

MACHIAVELLI

STATESMAN

107

GEORGE C. MARSHALL

GENERAL

108

MICHELANGELO

ARTIST

109

ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON

NAVAL HERO

110

NERO

ROMAN EMPEROR

111

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

HUMANITARIAN

112

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

INDUSTRIALIST

113

SIR WALTER SCOTT

WRITER

114

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

POET

115

JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA

COMPOSER

116

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

WRITER

117

ARTUROTOSCANINI

CONDUCTOR

118

AMERIGO VESPUCCI

EXPLORER

119

H.G.WELLS

WRITER

120

WENDELL WILKIE

STATESMAN

121

EMILE ZOLA

WRITER

122

CAPT. WILLIAM KIDD

PIRATE

123

SIR HENRY MORGAN

PIRATE

124

CHARLES DARWIN

SCIENTIST

125

CHARLES DICKENS

WRITER

126

LEIFERICSON

EXPLORER

127

GALILEO

SCIENTIST

128

GENGHIS KHAN

CONQUEROR

129

JOHANNES GUTENBERG

INVENTOR

130

VICTOR HERBERT

COMPOSER

131

HENRY HUDSON

EXPLORER

132

HENRY VIII

KING OF ENGLAND

133

JOAN OF ARC

FRENCH HEROINE

134

LAFAYETTE

MILITARY HERO

135

DOLLY MADISON

PRESIDENT'S WIFE

SUBSET

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

EXPLORERS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

EXPLORERS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS CANADIANS

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

EXPLORERS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WRITERS

EXPLORERS 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS AMERICANS 2ND SERIES

EXPLORERS 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

WORLD FIGURES 2ND SERIES

FAMOUS WOMEN 2ND SERIES

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

BABE RUTH

150

DANIEL WEBSTER

JOHN PAUL JONES

ADMIRAL PEARY

JESSE JAMES

ELIAS HOWE

REMBRANDT

250

JULIUS CAESAR

ROALD AMUNDSEN

ADLAI STEVENSON

101

DANIEL DE FOE

112

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

130

VICTOR HERBERT

133

JOAN OF ARC

135

DOLLY MADISON

COMMON (1-75]

COMMON (76-135]

COMMON EXTRA PRINT (1-75)

COMMON EXTRA PRINT (76-135)

U.S. PRESIDENTS

SET

1200

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

100

ONE CENT PACK

125

FIVE CENT PACK

275

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

750

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

750

RED CELLO VIEWER

195

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC FOOTBALL

Issued As: Magic Football

Issue Date: 1951

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent cello (unconfirmed)

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 75 Number of Series: 1

OC STEVE WADIAK

"J™ Age; 24 HI. 5'9" Wl. 187 Lbs.
Snake-hipping his way la 998 yards.

ACC #: R415-2
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm

/ \ *k »

/ S&^B&k

STEVE WADIAK

BACK (GAMfCQCKS)

Sieve is rated as one of the country's
lop 10 runners. He da&hed 95 yard? for o
touchdown, the 4th best run of the year.
What team is known
as the "GAMECOCKS"?
Scratch and
match your answer.

Sheet Size: 121
5TEVE WADIAK

**^ Age: 24 Ht. 5'9" W(. I87 Lbs.
Snake-hipping his way ta 998 yards,
Steve is rated as one of the country's
lop ID runners. He dashed 95 yards for o
touchdown, Ihe 4th best run of the year.
What team is knovftt
as the "GAMECOCKS"?
Scratch and

match your answer.

t\T

Unable to break into the NFL market like they had done earlier in 1951 with Major League Baseball, Topps
went with a college theme for their second football set in three years. The "magic" part of Magic Football
consisted of a scratch off feature on the back, which also had the card number, stylized school logo, a
brief biography and vitals and a quiz, the answer to which was a photo revealed by the aforementioned
scratch off. The fronts featured flexichrome painted photos of 75 players, often in garish pastels or
extremely bright and inappropriate colors with a small nameplate centered near the bottom with the
player's name, position and school team nickname displayed in white on black.

Magic Football can be found either with nubbed or smooth upper and bottom edges as they were sold in
singles and panels. There were two methods of scoring the cards when manufactured as some panelized
cards display nubs that are very close to each other while others are separated by 3/16 of an inch or so.
Cards produced by Topps from 1950 to early 1952 were plagued by cutting problems and Magic Football
together with Fighting Marines (which may actually have been manufactured prior to this set) would be
the last of the panelized sets that dominated the five cent packaging sales strategy in the early days of
post-tab production. Cards with the scratch off feature still intact command a significant premium today.

The cards were likely printed in an 1 1 x 1 1 half sheet array. Refer to the Look 'N See section for possible
configurations for Magic Football.

(Sources: http://www.footballcardgallery.com/ , Beckett Football Card Price Guide, 25 th Edition 2008-09,
Author's research)

196

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

POSITION (TEAM)

SCHOOL

JIMMY MONAHAN

HALFBACK (QUEENSMEN)

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

BILL WADE

QUARTERBACK (COMMODORES)

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

BILL REICHARDT

FULLBACK (HAWKEYES)

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

VITO (BABE) PARILLI

QUARTERBACK (WILDCATS)

U. OF KENTUCKY

BILL BURKHALTER

BACKFIELD (OWLS)

RICE INSTITUTE

ED WEBER

BACKFIELD (INDIANS)

WILLIAM & MARY COLLEGE

THOMAS SCOTT

END (CAVALIERS)

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

FRANK GUTHRIDGE

QUARTERBACK (BLUE HENS)

U. OF DELAWARE

JOHN KARRAS

HALFBACK (FIGHTING ILLINI)

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

VICJANOWICZ

HALFBACK (BUCKEYES)

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

CAPT. LLOYD HILL

TACKLE (BRUINS)

BROWN UNIVERSITY

JIM WEATHERALL

TACKLE (SOONERS)

U. OF OKLAHOMA

CAPT. HOWARD HANSEN

BACK (LIONS)

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

LOU D'ACHILLE

QUARTERBACK (FIGHTIN' HOOSIERS)

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

JOHNNY TURCO

BACK (CRUSADERS)

HOLY CROSS COLLEGE

JERRELL PRICE

TACKLE (RED RAIDERS)

TEXAS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE

JOHN COATTA

QUARTERBACK (BADGERS)

U. OF WISCONSIN

BRUCE PATTON

QUARTERBACK (HILLTOPPERS)

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

MARION CAMPBELL

TACKLE (BULLDOGS)

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

BLAINE EARON

END (BLUE DEVILS)

DUKE UNIVERSITY

DEWEY McCONNELL

END (COWBOYS)

U. OF WYOMING

RAY BECK

TACKLE (YELLOW JACKETS)

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

JIM PREWETT

TACKLE (GOLDEN HURRICANE)

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

BOB STEELE

QUARTERBACK (AGGIES)

OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE

ART BETTS

END (NITTANY LIONS)

PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE

WALT TRILLHAASE

TACKLE (ENGINEERS)

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

GIL BARTOSH

BACK (HORNED FROGS)

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

BOB BESTWICK

QUARTERBACK (PANTHERS)

U. OF PITTSBURGH

TOM RUSHING

HALFBACK (MAROONS)

MISSISSIPPI STATE COLLEGE

BERT RECHICHAR

BACK (VOLUNTEERS)

U. OF TENNESSEE

WM. OWENS

END (RED RAIDERS)

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

MIKE GOGGINS

FULLBACK (TITANS)

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

JOHN PETITBON

HALFBACK (FIGHTING IRISH)

U. OF NOTRE DAME

BYRON TOWNSEND

BACK (LONGHORNS)

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

ED ROTTICCI

CENTER (BRONCOS)

U. OF SANTA CLARA

STEVE WADIAK

BACK (GAMECOCKS)

U. OF SOUTH CAROLINA

BOB MARLOW

HALFBACK (CRIMSON TIDE)

ALABAMA UNIVERSITY

BILL FUCHS

CENTER (TIGERS)

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

RALPH STAUB

END (BEARCATS)

U. OF CINCINNATI

BILL VESPRINI

CENTER (INDIANS)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

ZACK JORDAN

BACK (TIGERS)

U. OF COLORADO

BOB SMITH

FULLBACK (AGGIES)

TEXAS A&M COLLEGE

CHAS. HANSON

QUARTERBACK (TERRIERS)

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

GLENN SMITH

END (TIGERS)

CLEMSON COLLEGE

ARMANDKITTO

END (TIGERS)

LOUISIANA STATE U.

VINNIE DRAKE

QUARTERBACK (RAMS)

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

BILL PUTICH

QUARTERBACK (WOLVERINES)

U. OF MICHIGAN

GEO. YOUNG

TACKLE (BISONS)

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

CAPT. DON McRAE

GUARD (WILDCATS)

NORTHWESTERN U.

FRANK SMITH

BACK (HURRICANES)

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

DICK HIGHTOWER

CENTER (MUSTANGS)

SOUTHERN METHODIST U.

CLYDE PICKARD

GUARD (DEMON DEACONS)

WAKE FOREST COLLEGE

BOB REYNOLDS

HALFBACK (CORNHUSKERS)

U. OF NEBRASKA

DICK GREGORY

HALFBACK (GOPHERS)

U. OF MINNESOTA

DALE SAMUELS

QUARTERBACK (BOILERMAKERS)

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

CO-CAPT. GALE GALLOWAY

CENTER (BEARS)

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

CAPT. VIC PUJO

END (BIG RED)

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

DAVE WATERS

QUARTERBACK (GENERALS)

WASHINGTON & LEE U.

JOE ERNST

QUARTERBACK (GREEN WAVE)

TULANE UNIVERSITY

ELMER COSTA

TACKLE (WOLFPACK)

NORTH CAROLINA STATE COLLEGE

NICK LIOTTA

GUARD (WILDCATS)

VILLANOVA COLLEGE

JOHN DOTTLEY

FULLBACK (REBELS)

U. OF MISSISSIPPI

HI FAUBION

HALFBACK (WILDCATS)

KANSAS STATE COLLEGE

DAVID HARR

GUARD (DIPLOMATS)

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE

BILL MATTHEWS

HALFBACK (VIOLETS)

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

CARROLL MCDONALD

CENTER ('GATORS)

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

DICK DEWING

FULLBACK (WILDCATS)

U. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

JOE JOHNSON

HALFBACK (EAGLES)

BOSTON COLLEGE

ARNOLD BURWITZ

FULLBACK (WILDCATS)

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

ED DOBROWOLSKI

HALFBACK (ORANGEMEN)

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

JOE DUDECK

GUARD (TAR HEELS)

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

JOHN BRIGHT

HALFBACK (BULLDOGS)

DRAKE UNIVERSITY

HAROLD LOEHLEIN

END (CADETS)

U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

LAWRENCE HAIRSTON

TACKLE (WOLFPACK)

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA

BOB CAREY

END (SPARTANS)

MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE

197

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

BY SCHOOL

NAME

ALABAMA UNIVERSITY

BOB MARLOW

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

CO-CAPT. GALE GALLOWAY

BOSTON COLLEGE

JOE JOHNSON

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

CHAS. HANSON

BROWN UNIVERSITY

CAPT. LLOYD HILL

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

GEO. YOUNG

CLEMSON COLLEGE

GLENN SMITH

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

WM. OWENS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

CAPT. HOWARD HANSEN

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

CAPT. VIC PUJO

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

BILLVESPRINI

DRAKE UNIVERSITY

JOHN BRIGHT

DUKE UNIVERSITY

BLAINE EARON

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

VINNIE DRAKE

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE

DAVID HARR

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLO

RAY BECK

HOLY CROSS COLLEGE

JOHNNY TURCO

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

LOU D'ACHILLE

KANSAS STATE COLLEGE

HI FAUBION

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

WALT TRILLHAASE

LOUISIANA STATE U.

ARMAND KITTO

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

BRUCE PATTON

MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE

BOB CAREY

MISSISSIPPI STATE COLLEGE

TOM RUSHING

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

BILL MATTHEWS

NORTH CAROLINA STATE COLLEGE

ELMER COSTA

NORTHWESTERN U.

CAPT. DON McRAE

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

VICJANOWICZ

OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE

BOB STEELE

PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE

ART BETTS

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

DALE SAMUELS

RICE INSTITUTE

BILL BURKHALTER

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

JIMMY MONAHAN

SOUTHERN METHODIST U.

DICK HIGHTOWER

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

ED DOBROWOLSKI

TEXAS A8.M COLLEGE

BOB SMITH

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

GIL BARTOSH

TEXAS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE

JERRELL PRICE

TULANE UNIVERSITY

JOE ERNST

U. OF CINCINNATI

RALPH STAUB

U. OF COLORADO

ZACK JORDAN

U. OF DELAWARE

FRANK GUTHRIDGE

U. OF KENTUCKY

VITO (BABE) PARILLI

U. OF MICHIGAN

BILL PUTICH

U. OF MINNESOTA

DICK GREGORY

U. OF MISSISSIPPI

JOHN DOTTLEY

U. OF NEBRASKA

BOB REYNOLDS

U. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DICK DEWING

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

JOE DUDECK

U. OF NOTRE DAME

JOHN PETITBON

U. OF OKLAHOMA

JIM WEATHERALL

U. OF PITTSBURGH

BOB BESTWICK

U. OF SANTA CLARA

ED ROTTICCI

U. OF SOUTH CAROLINA

STEVE WADIAK

U. OF TENNESSEE

BERT RECHICHAR

U. OF WISCONSIN

JOHN COATTA

U. OF WYOMING

DEWEY McCONNELL

U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

HAROLD LOEHLEIN

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

ARNOLD BURWITZ

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

MIKE GOGGINS

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

CARROLL MCDONALD

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

MARION CAMPBELL

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

JOHN KARRAS

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

BILL REICHARDT

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

FRANK SMITH

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

BILL FUCHS

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA

LAWRENCE HAIRSTON

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

BYRON TOWNSEND

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

JIM PREWETT

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

TOM SCOTT

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

BILL WADE

VILLANOVA COLLEGE

NICK LIOTTA

WAKE FOREST COLLEGE

CLYDE PICKARD

WASHINGTON & LEE U.

DAVE WATERS

WILLIAM & MARY COLLEGE

ED WEBER

BILL WADE

VITO (BABE) PARILLI

VICJANOWICZ

100

MARION CAMPBELL

BERT RECHICHAR

GEO. YOUNG

COMMON

COMMON (UNSCRATCHED)

SUPER COMMON

SUPER COMMON (UNSCRATCHED)

MULTIPLIER FOR UNSCATCHED

SET

500

SET (UNSCRATCHED)

1500

ONE CENT WRAPPER

200

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

250

ONE CENT PACK

400

FIVE CENT PACK

750

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

198

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO

Issued As: Magic Photo, Hocus Focus
Issue Date: 1948-49
Packaging: 1 cent tab, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 252

Number of Series: 2

ACC #: R714-27
Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm
Manufacturer: Bubbles, Inc.
Sheet Size: 126

K Z
<<

s-s*

IS J so

Magic Photo was the first insert card set issued by Topps when it appeared in August of 1948, marketed
primarily in penny gum tabs with a white wax inner wrap. Retailed with a gum called Hocus Focus, which
causes confusion with the later card issue of that name to this day, Topps cheekily advertised the set as
"In Color" on the five cent wrappers but that referred to the bubble gum, which came in assorted hues, not
the cards! The card fronts were blank and had to be developed using a solution found either on the inside
of the penny gum tab wrapper or on "orange mystery paper" included in the nickel pack, which came with
a panel of six connected cards in a 3 x 2 array. The revealed photo would answer a quiz question found on
the reverse. It is worth noting that nowhere on these cards does the phrase "Hocus Focus" appear.

There were 126 cards in the first series, which matches a known uncut sheet configuration. Eight subsets
of differing lengths and subjects were included, each with a small logo delineating the specific subseries.
There was a definite bias toward sporting subjects in the first series, with some actors and actresses
appearing as well. A "Hocus Focus Photo Album" was offered as a premium for dime on both types of
wrappers. The album identified the eight first series subsets and included a handy checklist. The interior
pages of the album were made of black paper with slits for inserting the card corners. Two brass
fasteners held the covers and pages together.

All first series cards can be found with a back variation. One variety states "see directions inside wrap"
across the (long side) bottom with the subset numbering rotated ninety degrees to run down the left
(short) side. The other variety has the subset numbering running across the bottom with no reference to
seeing the directions. This latter variant could be the result of an offer made in various comic books to
allow the purchase of 20 "magic quiz" pictures for a dime and a Bazooka wrapper. Topps also struck a
deal with the Barker Greeting Card Company of Cincinnati, Ohio to include a Magic Photo pack with a line
of birthday cards, a model Topps would use for Varsity football as well later in the year and the variant
cards could stem from that promotion. However, the comic book ad lists cards from both series but the
variant back is not known on second series cards so there is also the possibility the "no directions" cards
were from the initial print run, with Topps adding "see directions" in a second run.

There is at least one variation in the first series, among the Boxers where the Jack Johnson card can be
found with or without gray borders. The two different Johnson cards also have slightly different crops on
their photos but it is not clear at present if they are represented by both back varieties. Rumors persist
that some versions of the cards can be found with rounded corners but these have not been confirmed as
of this writing. In addition cards from first series panels are separated by a light score line. Second series
cards have had perforations added, so the original method must not have been working too well.

199

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The second series of 126 was released in January of 1949 and featured 11 new subsets, some very
minimal in length. This second series contains a subset entitled Baseball Hall of Fame that featured
subjects, most of which depicted retired baseball stars or scenes from the 1948 World Series. These are
the first Topps baseball cards although they are rarely recognized as such.

Another album was issued, with an unchanged cover but with a second series checklist on the last page.
Both the second series cards and albums are a little harder to find that the ones from the first series,
although both albums are scarce in nice shape.

The two series and 19 subsets break down as follows (note: "I" was not used):

Series 1:

Subset

Name

Boxing Champions

All American Basketball

All American Football

Wrestling Champions

Track and Field Champions

Stars of Stage and Screen

American Dogs

General Sports

Series 2:

Subset

Name

L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T

Movie Stars
Baseball Hall of Fame
Aviation Pioneers
Famous Landmarks
American Inventors
American Military Leaders
American Explorers
Basketball Thrills
Football Thrills
Figures of the Wild West
General Sports

Number
24
6
13
25
17
22
17
_2
126

Number

_T_

126

There is a degree of correlation between the subjects of the 45 card long Movie Stars in Series J and the
various Flip-o-vision productions, which was also a 1949 release. General Sports subjects appear in the
first and second series. Basketball and Football subjects also appear in both series, albeit with different
subset names. General Sports also appears in both series.

Three or four different fonts are used for the front captions, sometimes with more than one on a particular
card. Overall, the 252 diverse subjects, particularly those in the second series, in Magic Photo appear to
have been somewhat randomly selected from a stock pool of wire and press photos, perhaps Topps had a
finite pool of photographs to choose from and just made do.

Only cards that are well developed can be considered to be in Excellent condition, assuming the rest of
the card is in shape.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Author's
Research, alternate back scan courtesy of Rhett Yeakley)

200

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

LETTER

TEAM/COLLEGE

DIR.

NO DIR.

N0#

TOMMY BURNS

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JOHN L. SULLIVAN

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JAMES J. CORBETT

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

BOB FITZSIMMONS

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JAMES J. JEFFRIES

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JACK JOHNSON

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JESS WILLARD

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JACK DEMPSEY

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

GENETUNNEY

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MAXSCHMELING

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JACK SHARKEY

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

PRIMO CARNERA

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MAX BAER

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JAMES J. BRADDOCK

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JOE LOUIS

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

GUS. LESNEVICH

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

TONY ZALE

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

IKE WILLIAMS

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

RAY ROBINSON

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

WILLIE PEP

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

RINTY MONAGHAN

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MANUEL ORTIZ

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MARIEL CERDAN

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

BUDDY BAER

BOXING CHAMPIONS

N0#

RALPH BEARD

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

KENTUCKY

N0#

MURRAY WIER

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

UNIV. OF IOWA

N0#

ED MACAULEY

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY

N0#

KEVIN O'SHEA

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

NOTRE DAME

no n

JIM MclNTYRE

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

MINNESOTA

N0#

MANHATTAN BEATS DARTMOUTH

ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL

MANHATTAN, DARTMOUTH

N0#

BARNEY POOLE

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

MISSISSIPPI

N0#

PETE ELLIOTT

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

MICHIGAN

N0#

DOAK WALKER

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

S.M.U.

N0#

BILL SWIACKI

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

COLUMBIA

N0#

BILL FISCHER

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

NOTRE DAME

N0#

JOHNNY LUJACK

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

NOTRE DAME

N0#

CHAS. P. BEDNERIK

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

UNIV. OFPENN

N0#

JOE STEFFY

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

ARMY

N0#

GEORGE CONNOR

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

NOTRE DAME

N0#

STEVE SUHEY

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

PENN STATE

N0#

BOB CHAPPUIS

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

MICHIGAN

N0#

COLUMBIA-23 NAVY-14

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

COLUMBIA, NAVY

N0#

ARMY-NOTRE DAME

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL

ARMY, NOTRE DAME

N0#

FRANK GOTCH

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

HACKENSCHMIDT

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

STANASLAUS ZBYSZKO

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JIM BROWNING

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

JIM LONDOS

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

STRANGLER LEWIS

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

GEORGE BECKER

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

ERNIE DUSEK

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

RUDY DUSEK

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

DEAN DETTON

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MASKED MARVEL

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

MAURICE TILLET

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

OLAF SWENSON

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

N0#

TONY GALENTO

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO ft

FRANK SEXTON

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

GEORGE CALZA

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

ARM LOCK

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

FLYING DROP KICK FOOTBALL

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

PRIMO CARNERA

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

GINO GARIBALDI

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

"LORD" JAN BLEARS

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

JOE SAVOLDI

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

DICK SHIKAT

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

WAD LESLAW

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

NO#

STEINKE UPSIDE DOWN

WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

201

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

LETTER

TEAM/COLLEGE

DIR.

NO DIR.

NO if

JESSE OWENS 10.4 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

LEO STEERS

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

BEN EASTMAN 440 YD. 16.4 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

HARRISON DILLARD 120 YD. HURDLE 13.6 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

GREG RICE 2 MILES 8 MIN. SI SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

HANNES KOLEI IMA1NLN 6 MILES 30 MIN. 20 1/4 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

GUNDER HAGG 1 MILE 4 MINS 5.9 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

NOS

CHAS. PORES 5 MILE 24 MIN 21.4 SEC.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

GROVER KELMMER ANCHOR MAN 1 MILE RELAY...

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

BOYD BROWN JAVELIN -245 FEET 4 IN.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

PAT RYAN 16 LB. HAMMER THROW 189 FT 6 1/2 IN

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

CHARLIE FONVILLE SHOT PUT 58 FT. 1/4 IN.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

C. WARMERDAM POLE VAULT 15 FT. 8 1/2 IN.

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

NO if

ARMY-NAVY TIE

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

NOS

HAAKEN LIDMAN SWEDEN

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

NO if

MORRIS (ARMY) WINS

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

M. JARVINEN JAVELIN

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONS

N0#

CLARK GABLE

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

BARBARA STANWYCK

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

LANA TURNER

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

INGRED BERGMAN

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

BETTY GRABLE

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

TYRONE POWER

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

OLIVIA DeHAVILLAND

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

JOAN FONTAINE

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

JUNE ALLYSON

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

DOROTHY LAMOUR

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

N0#

WILLIAM POWELL

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO if

SYLVIA SIDNEY

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO if

VAN JOHNSON

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

VIRGINIA MAYO

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

CLAUDETTE COLBERT

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

EVE ARDEN

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

LYN BARI

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

MAUREEN O'HARA

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

JEAN ARTHUR

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

HAZEL BROOKS

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

MARTHA VICKERS

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

NOREEN NASH

STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN

NO#

WIRE HAIRED TERRIER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

CHOW

AMERICAN DOGS

NO if

CAIRO TERRIER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO if

WHITE SEALYHAM

AMERICAN DOGS

NO if

ST. BERNARD

AMERICAN DOGS

NO it

BOSTON BULL

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

GREYHOUND

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

DALMATIAN

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

POINTER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

COCKER SPANIEL

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

ENGLISH BULLDOG

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

CHAMPION POINTER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

SETTER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO#

BOXER

AMERICAN DOGS

NO it

RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND

AMERICAN DOGS

NO it

DOBERMAN

AMERICAN DOGS

NO if

COLLIE

AMERICAN DOGS

NO it

MR. & MRS. GEORGE REMINGTON

GENERAL SPORTS

NO#

BERNICE DOSSEY

GENERAL SPORTS

202

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

LETTER

TEAM/COLLEGE

N0#

JOHNNY MACK BROWN STARRED IN "HIDDEN DANGER"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ANDY CLYDE STARRED IN "CRASHING THRU"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

RODDY McDOWALL STARRED IN "KIDNAPPED"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

KEYE LUKE FEATURED IN "THE FEATHERED SERPENT"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JACKIE COOGAN STARRED IN "FRENCH LEAVE"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JOE KIRKWOOD JR. STARRED IN "THE BIG FIGHT

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JACKIE COOPER STARRED IN "FRENCH LEAVE"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ARTHUR LAKE STARRED IN "SIXTEEN FATHOMS DEEP"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

SAM LEVINE STARRED IN "THE BABE RUTH STORY"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

BINNIE BARNES

MOVIE STARS

N0#

GERTRUDE NIESEN

MOVIE STARS

N0#

RORY CALHOUN

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JUNE LOCKHART

MOVIE STARS

N0#

HEDY LAMARR STARRED IN "LET'S LIVE A LITTLE"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ROBERT CUMMINGS

MOVIE STARS

N0#

BRIAN AHERENE 6' 3" STARRED IN "SMART WOMAN"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

WILLIAM BENDIX STARRED IN "THE BABE RUTH STORY"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ROLAND WINTERS

MOVIE STARS

N0#

MICHAEL O'SHEA

MOVIE STARS

N0#

LOIS BUTLER

MOVIE STARS

N0#

REN IE RIANO STARRED IN "JIGGS AND MAGGIE IN COURT'

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JIMMY WAKELY STARRED IN "GUN RUNNER"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

AUDIE MURPHY STARRED IN "BAD BOY"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

LEO GORCEY STARRED IN "FIGHTING FOOLS"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

LEON ERROL FEATURED IN "THE BIG FIGHT"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

LON CHANEY

MOVIE STARS

N0#

WILLIAM FRAWLEY

MOVIE STARS

N0#

BILLY BENEDICT

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ROD CAMERON

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JAMES GLEASON

MOVIE STARS

N0#

GILBERT ROLAND

MOVIE STARS

N0#

RAYMOND HATTON

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JOE YULE

MOVIE STARS

N0#

EDDIE ALBERT

MOVIE STARS

N0#

BARRY SULLIVAN

MOVIE STARS

N0#

RICHARD BASEHART

MOVIE STARS

N0#

CLAIRE TREVOR

MOVIE STARS

N0#

CONSTANCE BENNETT STARRED IN "SMART WOMAN"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

GALE STORM FEATURED IN "WINNER TAKE ALL"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

ELYSE KNOX

MOVIE STARS

N0#

JANE WYATT

MOVIE STARS

N0#

WHIP WILSON STARRING IN MONOGRAM'S "CRASHING THRU"

MOVIE STARS

N0#

CHARLES BICKFORD

MOVIE STARS

N0#

GUY MADISON

MOVIE STARS

N0#

BARTON MacLANE

MOVIE STARS

N0#

LOU BOUDREAU

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CLEVELAND INDIANS

N0#

CLEVELAND INDIANS

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CLEVELAND INDIANS

N0#

BOB ELLIOTT

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

BOSTON BRAVES

N0#

CLEVELAND INDIANS 4-3

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CLEVELAND INDIANS

N0#

CLEVELAND INDIANS 4-1 (LOU BOUDREAU SCORING)

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CLEVELAND INDIANS

N0#

"BABE RUTH" 714

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

NEW YORK YANKEES

N0#

TRIS SPEAKER 793

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

BOSTON RED SOX

N0#

ROGERS HORNSBY

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

ST. LOUIS BROWNS

N0#

CONNIE MACK

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

N0#

CHRISTY MATHEWSON

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

NEW YORK GIANTS

N0#

HANS WAGNER

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

N0#

GROVER ALEXANDER

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

N0#

TY COBB

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

DETROIT TIGERS

N0#

LOU GEHRIG

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

NEW YORK YANKEES

N0#

WALTER JOHNSON

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

WASHINGTON SENATORS

N0#

CY YOUNG

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

BOSTON RED SOX

N0#

GEORGE SISLER 257

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

ST. LOUIS BROWNS

N0#

TINKER AND EVERS

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CHICAGO CUBS

N0#

THIRD BASE CLEVELAND INDIANS

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

CLEVELAND INDIANS

203

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

SUBSET

LETTER

TEAM/COLLEGE

N0#

COLONIAL AIRLINES

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

JAMES DOOUTTLE

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

WILEY POST 1933

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

EDDIE RICKENBACKER

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

AMELIA EARHART

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

CHARLES LINDBERGH

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

DOUG CORRIGAN

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

CHAS.ALEVINE

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

WRIGHT BROTHERS

AVIATION PIONEERS

N0#

NIAGARA FALLS

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

EMPIRE STATE 110 STORIES

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

LEANING TOWER OF PISA

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

EIFFEL TOWER

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

STATUE OF LIBERTY BEDLOE'S ISLAND

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

GEYSER YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

SPHINX

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

WASHINGTON MONUMENT

FAMOUS LANDMARKS

N0#

ELI WHITNEY'S COTTON GIN

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

THOMAS A. EDISON

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

C.E. DURYEA

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

V.K. ZWORYKIN TELEVISION

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

ROBERT FULTON STEAMBOAT

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

SAMUEL MORSE TELEGRAPH-1832

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL TELEPHONE 1876

AMERICAN INVENTORS

N0#

JOSEPH STILWELL

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

GEORGE PATTON

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

GENERAL JOHN PERSHING

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

ADMIRAL DAVID FARRAGUT

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

JONATHAN WAINWRIGHT

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

DOUGLAS MacARTHUR

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

GENERAL OMAR BRADLEY

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

GEORGE DEWEY

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER

AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS

N0#

ADMIRAL ROBERT PEARY

AMERICAN EXPLORERS

N0#

RICHARD E. BYRD

AMERICAN EXPLORERS

N0#

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY

BASKETBALL THRILLS

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY

N0#

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

BASKETBALL THRILLS

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

N0#

NOTRE DAME

BASKETBALL THRILLS

NOTRE DAME

N0#

KENTUCKY 58-42

BASKETBALL THRILLS

KENTUCKY

N0#

DE PAUL 75 TO 64

BASKETBALL THRILLS

DE PAUL

N0#

WALLYTRIPLETT

FOOTBALL THRILLS

PENN STATE

N0#

GIL STEPHENSON

FOOTBALL THRILLS

ARMY

N0#

NORTHWESTERN

FOOTBALL THRILLS

NORTHWESTERN

N0#

YALE BULLDOG AND COLUMBIA LIONS

FOOTBALL THRILLS

YALE, COLUMBIA

N0#

CORNELL

FOOTBALL THRILLS

CORNELL

N0#

GENERAL CUSTER

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

BUFFALO BILL CODY

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

SITTING BULL

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

ANNIE OAKLEY

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

JESSE JAMES

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

GERONIMO

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

BILLY THE KID

FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST

N0#

SOCCER

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

MOTOR BOAT RACING

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

ICE HOCKEY

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

WATER SKIING

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

GALLORETTE

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

HEADLOCK

GENERAL SPORTS

N0#

TENNIS

GENERAL SPORTS

204

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

MAGIC PHOTO CHECKLIST

N0#

JACK DEMPSEY

100

N0#

GENETUNNEY

N0#

MAX SCHMELING

N0#

JOE LOUIS

N0#

DOAK WALKER

N0#

JOHNNY LUJACK

N0#

CHAS. P. BEDNERIK

N0#

JESSE OWENS

N0#

CLARK GABLE

N0#

BETTY GRABLE

N0#

WILLIAM BEN DIX STARRED IN "THE BABE RUTH STORY"

N0#

LOU BOUDREAU

N0#

"BABE RUTH" 714

300

N0#

TRIS SPEAKER 793

N0#

ROGERS HORNSBY

N0#

CONNIE MACK

N0#

CHRISTY MATHEWSON

N0#

HANS WAGNER

100

N0#

GROVER ALEXANDER

N0#

TY COBB

125

N0#

LOU GEHRIG

125

N0#

WALTER JOHNSON

N0#

CY YOUNG

N0#

GEORGE SISLER 257

N0#

TINKER AND EVERS

N0#

EDDIE RICKENBACKER

N0#

AMELIA EARHART

N0#

CHARLES LINDBERGH

N0#

EMPIRE STATE 110 STORIES

N0#

STATUE OF LIBERTY BEDLOE'S ISLAND

N0#

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

N0#

GEORGE PATTON

N0#

DOUGLAS MacARTHUR

N0#

GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER

N0#

GENERAL CUSTER

COMMON (1-126)

COMMON (127-252)

COMMON PANEL

300

SEMI STAR (1-126)

SEMI STAR (127-252)

COMMON BOXING CHAMPIONS-SERIES A

COMMON ALL AMERICAN BASKETBALL-SERIES B

COMMON ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL-SERIES C

COMMON AMERICAN DOGS-SERIES G

COMMON BASEBALL HALL OF FAME-SERIES K

COMMON AVIATION PIONEERS-SERIES

COMMON AMERICAN EXPLORERS-SERIES P

COMMON BASKETBALL THRILLS-SERIES Q

COMMON FOOTBALL THRILLS-SERIES R

COMMON FIGURES OF THE WILD WEST-SERIES S

COMMON GENERAL SPORTS-SERIES T

BASE SET (SINGLES)

3500

BASE SET (PANELS)

N/A

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

250

ONE CENT PACK

150

FIVE CENT PACK

500

ONE CENT BOX

SPEC.

FIVE CENT BOX

SPEC.

ORANGE MYSTERY PAPER

100

ALBUM

100

205

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

PLAY COINS OF THE WORLD (1949-50)

Issued As: World Coins, Play Money World Coins, Play Money Pops ACC #: PX4

Issue Date: 1949-50 Diameter: 7/8", 22.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent tab, 10 cent poly bag, lollipop box Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 72/120/144 Number of Series: 3 Sheet Size: N/A

Play Coins of the World:

Play Money Pops:

Issued in a variety of guises, Play Coins of the World 'is known today by these exact words, which appear
on the coins. Colorful coins depicting currency in various denominations from 24 countries were issued in
an array of hues and differing textures over a two year period in at least three different packages and
marketing campaigns by two different divisions of Topps. One side has the set name encircling a large
denomination in the middle of a stylized globe while the other has the country and currency names
encircling a stylized symbol of that country.

The first appearance of these coins was in penny gum tabs in 1949, labeled as World Coins. One of 120
different injection molded coins was inserted between the inner wax and outer paper wrappers, just like
the tiny cards of the era. Each of the 24 countries depicted came in five denominations, each with its own
color in this initial release:

Denomination

Color

Green

Blue

Red

Silver

100

Gold

206

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The Play Coins were loosely related to the 1949 Flags of All Nations-Soldiers of the World 'tab sized card
issue as well. No doubt Topps was selling products tied to an upswell of interest in the United Nations,
which had laid the cornerstone for its headquarters in October of 1949 in Manhattan.

In 1950 Topps reissued and re-imagined their flag cards in a larger format as Flags of the World-Parade
and used cards from that set on point-of-sale materials to market a reissue of Play Coins that were sold
loose in a poly bag for a dime. Topps added a 1 denomination in yellow for this particular configuration,
which was sold as Play Money World Coins. These yellow coins are harder to find than coins of other
colors. The color list for the reissue became:

Denomination

Color

Yellow

Green

Blue

Red

Silver

100

Gold

It seems at some point in the production of this version of the set, the strict color/denomination linkage
stopped and some, if not all denominations other than 50 and 100 ended up being produced in each color.
If all "non-metallic'' combinations were used, this would add 72 more coins to a master set.

Finally, Topps produced a set of these coins in denominations of 25, 50 and 100 with a "metallic" finish,
that were packed in ribbons of cellophane that held 7 coins inside a box of 15 lollipops called Play Money
Pops. This particular configuration was attributed to the Topps Candy Division and similar lollipop
releases from them in this era and probably dates to the latter part of 1950 or early 1951.

These "metallic" Play Money Pops coins had a black plastic core, manufactured just like the other coins in
the set but with a thin layer of foil added to each side that was then pressure stamped onto the coin and
held in place with a plastic retaining ring that encircled the rims. The foil used on these is dull, especially
compared to the 50 and 100 denominations of the gum tab issued Play Coins. These were also produced in
specific combinations and Topps' own ad copy shows 72 as the set total for this final release:

Denomination Finish

25 Bronze (aka Copper)

50 Silver

100 Gold

A master set of Play Coins could theoretically total at least 288 (120 initial coins, 24 yellow, 72 "all color"
variations of the 1,5,10 and 25 denominations and 72 "metal" coins). If the 50 and 100 coins from the
plastic release were also "mixed and matched" then an even higher total could result. The checklist
potentially shows more combinations than could exist but the "basic master" set can be construed three
different ways:

1949 Release-120 coins

1950 Release-144 of which 24 were new yellow coins

Metallized-72 coins

If you take only the main color/denomination combinations, that would yield 216 coins. There could be far
more if all denominations were "minted" in all colors.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Bill Christensen, Author's
Research)

207

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

PLAY COINS OF THE WORLD CHECKLIST

NUMBER

COUNTRY

CURRENCY

100

YELLOW

GREEN

BLUE

RED

BRONZE

SILVER

GOLD

N0#

ARGENTINA

PESO

N0#

BELGIUM

FRANC

N0#

BRAZIL

REIS

N0#

CANADA

CENT

N0#

CHINA

YUAN

N0#

CUBA

PESO

N0#

EGYPT

PIASTRE

N0#

ENGLAND

SHILLING

N0#

FINLAND

MARKKA

N0#

FRANCE

FRANC

N0#

GREECE

DRACHMA

N0#

HOLLAND

GUILDER

N0#

INDIA

RUPEE

N0#

IRAN

RIAL

N0#

ISRAEL

PIASTRE

N0#

ITALY

LIRA

N0#

JAPAN

YEN

N0#

MEXICO

PESO

N0#

NORWAY

KRONE

N0#

PERU

CENTARO

N0#

RUSSIA

RUBLE

N0#

SPAIN

CENTIMO

N0#

SWEDEN

KRONE

N0#

TURKEY

KURUS

PRICING

COMMON

SET (144 PLASTIC)

275

SET (72 METALLIC)

125

ONE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

100

TEN CENT POLY BAG PACK

SPEC.

CELLO RIBBON UNOPENED (7)

SPEC.

LOLLIPOP BOX (FULL)

LOLLIPOP BOX (EMPTY)

150

208

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS

Issued As: Rails & Sails

Issue Date: 1955

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane

Base Set Size: 200 Number of Series: 2?

ACC #: R714-17
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 110/220

STEEL BOX CAR

Private Owner

fWHAT JS AM ICIN
VV PLATFORM I

The railroads are continually ordering new freight
cars, either to replace older units, or to take care
of the demands of increased traffic. This is a type
of steel box car, built in 1954 and mating use of the
latest parts and construction methods. More box
oars are used than any other typo of freight car,
swiftly transporting goods throughout tile country.

A raised platform used for load-
ing ice into the roof hatches of
refrigerator cars.

STEEL BOX CAR Private Owner

FUNNELS AND fLAGS OF STEAM5HIP COMPANIES
n mid Blue Funnel Booth Lire Bull

K —

■ R Small in size but seaworthy as they come, the
ships of the Coast Guard are a navy within a navy. Their
duties are endless. They patrol our coasts against smug-
gling, rush to the aid of vessels in distress, or help in
the removal of an injured seaman to a shore-based hos- ,£[;[ | I
pital. They maintain a ceaseless ice-patrol.
V When a big iceberg is found, it broadcasts
^- ~ ^ a warning. In wartime the cutter becomes

a hunter of submarines.

Copr. T.n.G. Inc panted ,„ y.s.A

BUBBLE LIGHT
PE NrODICK, MAINE

1955's Rails & Sails has a split personality. This gorgeous, well executed set is the pinnacle of Topps card
design in the mid 50's. Featuring 130 cards of train cars and locomotives and another 70 of sailing and
powered vessels which were probably designed originally as two distinct sets, Rails & Sails illustrates
how all things were not created equally by Topps.

The most obvious thing in this set is the differing looks of the cards. Rails cards have illustrations of train
cars and a white border on all four sides with some basic descriptive items while the Sails cards have full
bleed borders all around and resemble oil paintings with basic titles and subtitles shown. They also use
completely different fonts than the Rails cards.

The backs are also quite different from each other. Rails cards have a clever design with the card number
featured in a railroad signal, a paragraph of descriptive text and a quiz all sitting above a colorful
illustration of train cars (usually two) on a railroad track. Sails reverses have a string of four colorful flags
atop a predominantly battleship gray color block containing a paragraph of text with a sea anchor motif
for the card number and either a postage stamp sized illustration of a light house or a "Sea Myth". The

209

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

gray color block is full bleed to the bottom and either side, up to the point where a neutral tone takes
over. The full bleed bottoms on these mean they were printed in consecutive rows that alternate between
right-side-up and upside-down.

While Rails cards are consecutively numbered from #1-130 and Sails cards from #131-200, they were
probably not issued in two consecutively numbered series of 100. This can be determined by the fact two
consecutive but disconnected runs that total one batch of 100 cards are much harder to find than the
other batch of 100, although the exact order of issue remains unclear. There is also a difference in the use
of all capital letters for the railroad cards spanning #81-130, where the cards from #1-80 also use lower
case. Not to be outdone, the lettering on the run spanning #151-200 for the ships uses a white outline
around the lettering of the vessel identification, on cards #131-150 there is no outline used.

Some Rails cards carry a line stating "Courtesy of A.C.F. Industries, Inc." This company started out as the
American Car & Foundry Company in 1899 and built many of the train cars depicted in the set. They
changed their name to A.C.F. Industries in 1955. Amusingly, card #128 features a boxcar with the Bazooka
logo and a TCG shield on the graphic. The Sails cards look to be taken from a series of paintings. Their
tone is somewhat dull and muted, although there is a good amount of color on the cards.

The easier of the two runs represent the first series and stretches from #1-80 and #131-150, or 80 Rails
and 20 Sails cards. There should be ten double prints as well; these are unidentified in all references and
of little consequence as so many cards were produced. The second series is at least twice as difficult and
has cards #81-130 (Rails) and #151-200 (Sails) to finish off the set.

There are two other sets that grew out of the main Rails & Sails issue; three if you count a UK release in
the late 50's that featured 72 locomotives. A stamp sheet was produced that shows 31 full fronts (one is
missing) and another 22 partials (one a mere snippet of a corner), of which 29 were Rails (16 complete)
and 23 Sails (15 complete with one is missing from the sheet where #131 "War Galley" resides based upon
the existing array). Unlike the regular press sheets of cards, the stamp sheet has a narrow gutter
separating the Rails cards from the Sails cards. The Rails stamps range intermittently from #33-73,
including partials, while the Sails go from #131-150, partials included, with no gaps save for the missing
card #131).

There was also a release of 100 Doeskin Tissue cards that feature the images from the tougher #81-130
(Rails) and #151-200 (Sails) cards along with another 100 cards from the 1952 Wings set, all horizontally
oriented and the same height as the originals but with wider side borders due to an increased length.
These were designed to fit inside a personal tissue pack as the stiffener and are much harder to find than
the regular issue Topps cards. These tissue pack cards do not have the traditional TCG copyright on the
reverse, which is taken from the originals, but carry a Doeskin copyright instead.

Checklist subjects are taken from the front captions of each card; the back captions can vary greatly from
those on the fronts.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Author's
Research)

210

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

LOCOMOTIVE "999"

NEW YORK CENTRAL RR

COVERED HOPPER CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

FIRST ELECTRIC TYPE

NEW YORK CENTRAL RR

"DAYLIGHT" STREAMLINER

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RR

CAMELBACK LOCO

CENTRAL RR OF NEW JERSEY

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

FRENCH NATIONAL RYS.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

CM. St. P. a P. RR

STEEL CABOOSE

CLINCHFIELD RAILROAD

BALLAST DUMP CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

STOCK CAR

MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD

STEAM TURBINE LOCO

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

THREE-DOME TANK CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

WOODEN TANK CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

CHLORINE CONTAINER CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

ENCLOSED CAB LOCO

CANADIAN PACIFIC RR

DEPRESSED CENTER FLAT CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

STEAM LOCO

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RYS.

TANK LOCOMOTIVE

BRITISH RAILWAYS

STEEL BOX CAR

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

DIESEL LOCO

MINNEAPOLIS & ST. LOUIS RY.

SHARK NOSE DIESEL LOCO

PENNSYLVANIA RR

PCC TROLLEY

MODERN STREAMLINER

"MISSISSIPPI"

NATCHEZ & HAMBURG RAILROAD

"NORTH STAR"

ENGLISH SINGLE WHEELER

DIESEL SWITCHER

NATIONAL RYS. OF MEXICO

ROCK-RAIL LOCO

MT. WASHINGTON RAILWAY

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

COAL MINING

BALLAST HOPPER CAR

WESTERN PACIFIC RR

"WILLIAM MASON"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RR

WEDGE SNOW PLOW

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

DIESEL STREAMLINER

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

FIRST CONSOLIDATION

2-8-0- LOCOMOTIVE

ROTARY SNOW PLOW

LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD

INSEPCTION ENGINE

LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD

DIESEL SWITCHER

MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD

REFRIGERATOR CAR

RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY

PACIFIC TYPE LOCO

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

CLIMAX-GEARED TYPE

"HOLMAN'S ABSURDITY"

EXPERIMENTAL LOCO

FIRST DIESEL

CENTRAL RAILROAD OF NEW JERSEY

DIESEL SWITCHER

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD

WOODEN CABOOSE

MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS LINES

"MUDDIGGER"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

SWITCHING ENGINE

DIESEL-HYDRAULIC

BIRNEY TROLLEY CAR

SAFETY TYPE

FARNEY LOCOMOTIVE

NEW YORK ELEVATED

BAY-WINDOW CABOOSE

BALTIMORE & OHIO RR

"FIRELESS COOKER"

SWITCHING LOCOMOTIVE

"ROCKET"

ROCK ISLAND RAILROAD

GAS-TURBINE LOCOMOTIVE

UNION PACIFIC RR

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

VISTA DOME COACH

BURLINGTON LINES

GAS-ELECTRIC CAR

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

"YORK"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

"GENERAL"

CIVIL WAR LOCOMOTIVE

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD

"LAFAYETTE"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

SAILING CAR

B&O RAILROAD

STEPHENSON'S "ROCKET"

ENGLISH LOCOMOTIVE

STREET CAR

HORSE DRAWN

McKEEN MOTOR CAR

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

"EDDY CLOCK"

BOSTON & ALBANY RAILROAD

ONE-DOME TANK CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

CASEY JONES' LOCO

ILLINOIS CENTRAL RR

YES
YES
YES

PARTIAL
PARTIAL

YES

YES
YES
YES
YES

211

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

CABLE CAR

SAN FRANCISCO

LIVE POULTRY CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

CRAMPTON LOCO

CAMDEN & AMBOY RR

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

HORSE TREADMILL CAR

BALTIMORE & OHIO RR

8 WHEEL TROLLEY

NEW YORK & QUEENS CO. RY. CO.

WRECKING CRANE

LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD

WOOTTEN CAMELBACK LOCO

READING RR

RAIL DIESEL CAR

BUDD COMPANY

"SANDUSKY"

MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE RR

OBSERVATION CAR

ROCK ISLAND RAILROAD

FIRST MOGUL

NEW JERSEY RR & TRANSPORT CO.

STOUTBRIDGE

LION STEAM LOCO

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

SHAY-GEARED TYPE

"SOUTH CAROLINA"

DOUBLE-ENDERTYPE

DIESEL LOCO

EGYPTIAN STATE RYS.

COMMODORE VANDERBILT

N.Y.C. RR

PULPWOOD CAR

LOUISANA & ARK. RY.

1902 "20TH CENTURY"

N.Y. CENTRAL

ARTICULATED TYPE

N. & W. RAILROAD

EARLY SWITCHER

0-4-0 TYPE

ELECTRIC TYPE

GREAT NORTHERN RY.

PASSENGER CAR

LACKAWANNA RR

INCLINE

MAUCH CHUNK

THEATRICAL CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

DEMONSTRATION LOCO

STEVENS DESIGN

"JOHN BULL"

CAMDEN & AMBOY RR

EXPERIMENTAL LOCO

FONTAINE DESIGN

0-6-0 SWITCHER

MISSOURI PACIFIC RR

DINING CAR

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

SUGAR CANE CAR

PLANTATION USE

ORE CAR

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY

AUTOMOBILE BOX CAR

N.Y. CENTRAL

100

PRIVATE CAR

DELAWARE & HUDSON RR

101

"JOSHUA RHODES"

FIRST PORTER LOCO

102

STEAM STREAMLINER

N.Y. CENTRAL RR

103

REFRIGERATOR CAR

RAILWAY EXPRESS

104

THE "HIAWATHA"

CM. St. P. & P. RR

105

NARROW GAUGE

SANDY RIVER RR

106

"BEST FRIEND"

SOUTH CAROLINA RR

107

THE "PIONEER"

FIRST CHICAGO LOCO

108

SUBWAY TRAIN

NEW YORK CITY

109

ELECTRIC TYPE

ITALIAN STATE RYS.

110

ELECTRIC TYPE

NEW YORK CENTRAL RR

111

STREAMLINED STEAM LOCO

B&ORR

112

0-8-0 SWITCHER

MISSOURI PACIFIC RR

113

CAMEL TYPE

BALTIMORE & OHIO RR

114

"OLD IRONSIDES"

FIRST BALDWIN LOCO

115

GRASSHOPPER TYPE

B&ORR

116

MULTIPLE UNIT TRAIN

N.Y. CENTRAL

117

OPEN END DAY COACH

D.L. & W. RR

118

ELECTRIC TYPE

VIRGINIAN RAILWAY

119

HIGH PRESSURE LOCO

D. & H. RR

120

CAB FORWARD LOCO

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RR

121

ACF TALGO

LIGHTWEIGHT STREAMLINER

122

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

B.&.O. RAILROAD

123

RED ARROW EXPRESS

SWISS RAILWAYS

124

"MONSTER"

CAMDEN & AMBOY RR

125

STEAM STREAMLINER

N. & W. RAILROAD

126

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

UNION PACIFIC RR

127

SINGLE WHEELER

READING RAILROAD

128

STEEL BOX CAR

PRIVATE OWNER

129

BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE

4-2-0 TYPE

130

FIRST "ZEPHYR"

BURLINGTON ROUTE

YES
YES

YES
PARTIAL

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

212

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

131

WAR GALLEY

12TH CENTURY VENETIAN CRAFT

132

WHALE BACK

GREAT LAKES CARGO STEAMER

133

DESTROYER

UNITED STATES WARSHIP

134

CARAVEL

16TH CENTURY LIGHT VESSEL

135

EXPRESS CRUISER

CHRIS CRAFT PLEASURE BOAT

136

NORWEGIAN LONG SHIP

VIKING RAIDER

137

SANTA MARIA

15TH CENTURY CARRACK

138

FISHING VESSEL

JAVA SEA, INTER-ISLAND

139

SKAFFIE

SCOTTISH FISHING BOAT

140

U.S.C.G.C. COMANCHE

COAST GUARD CUTTER

141

CANAL BOAT

ERIE RIVER VESSEL

142

CHARLES H. WEST

MISSISSIPPI STERN WHEELER

143

INDIAN CANOE

BIRCH BARK, AMERICAN

144

FLAT BOAT

EARLY WESTERN CARGO CARRIER

145

ANNE MORGAN

NEW YORK HARBOR TUG BOAT

146

EAST INDIAMAN

ENGLISH MERCHANT SHIP

147

SHOW BOAT

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STEAMER

148

HERRING DRIFTER

ENGLISH FISHING BOAT

149

FISHING JUNK

MODERN CHINESE FISHING VESSEL

150

OUTRIGGER CANOE

MALAY TRADING BOAT

151

FERRY BOAT

DOUBLE ENDED NEW YORK HARBOR

152

QUEEN ELIZABETH

LUXURY LINER

153

FISHING CRUISER

PLEASURE POWER BOAT

154

SUBMARINE

U.S. NAVY

155

OYSTER BOAT

CHESAPEAKE BAY FISHING BOAT

156

GREEK WAR SHIP

ANCIENT FIGHTING GALLEY

157

NET TENDER

U.S. NAVY

158

DUTCH BOTTER

ZUIDERZEE SAILING CRAFT

159

ORE CARRIER

GREAT LAKES FREIGHTER

160

TRAWLER

BRITISH STEAM POWERED FISHERMAN

161

FREIGHTER

GENERAL CARGO CARRIER

162

EGYPTIAN SHIP

OARED MERCHANTMAN

163

ENGLISH HOY

18TH CENTURY WORK BOAT

164

CATAMARAN

AMERICAN DESIGN

165

TRAMP STEAMER

STEAM MERCHANTMAN

166

SUB-CHASER

U.S. NAVY

167

LIGHT SHIP

DANISH COASTGUARD

168

SURF BOAT

U.S. COASTGUARD

169

OIL TANKER

SEAGOING GAS STATION

170

STEAM PACKET

EARLY STEAMSHIP

171

BRIGANTINE

EARLY SAILING VESSEL

172

S.S. UNITED STATES

PASSENGER LINER

173

HAWAIIAN LINER

LUXURY CRUISE SHIP

174

TORPEDO BOAT

U.S. NAVY PATROL SHIP

175

MISS LIBERTY

SIGHTSEEING BOAT

176

GLOUCESTERMAN

FISHING SCHOONER

177

RACING BOAT

"SLO-MO-SHON IV"

178

CRUISER

U.S. NAVY

179

CRASH BOAT

AIR FORCE RESCUE LAUNCH

180

U.S.S. INDIANA

U.S. NAVY 1894

181

TUNA CLIPPER

AMERICAN FISHING BOAT

182

HARBOR DREDGE

WORK BARGE

183

SPEED BOAT

"BLUE BIRD II" CUSTOM BUILT

184

CONSTITUTION

REVOLUTIONARY WARSHIP

185

WHALE SHIP

FLOATING FACTORY

186

SALVAGE TUG

ROYAL BRITISH NAVY

187

FIRE BOAT

NEW YORK CITY

188

S.S. CARONIA

PASSENGER LINER

189

LANDING SHIP

U.S. NAVY

190

U.S.S. MISSOURI

U.S. NAVY

191

HASTINGS LUGGER

BRITISH FISHERMAN

192

SHRIMP BOAT

FISH TRAWLER

193

MINESWEEPER

U.S. NAVY

194

COBLE

ENGLISH OFFSHORE WORK BOAT

195

GREAT EASTERN

CABLE SHIP

196

ROMAN TRIREME

WAR VESSEL

197

ENGLISH WARSHIP

MEDIEVAL FIGHTING CRAFT

198

TOW BOAT

TENNESSEE RIVER BARGE

199

HOSPITAL SHIP

U.S. NAVY

200

FLAT TOP

U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER

YES

YES
PARTIAL

YES

YES
PARTIAL

YES

YES
PARTIAL
PARTIAL

YES

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

LOCOMOTIVE "999"

200

FLAT TOP

COMMON (1-80, 131-150)

COMMON (81-130, 151-200)

SET (200)

1800

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

TEN CENT WRAPPER

N/A

ONE CENT PACK

200

FIVE CENT PACK

100

TEN CENT PACK

300

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

150

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

150

TEN CENT BOX (EMPTY)

SPEC.

213

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS STAMPS

Not Distributed

Issue Date: 1955

Base Set Size: 32 (31 confirmed, plus partial stamps)

ACC #: None Assigned
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Sheet Size: Indeterminate

NO IMAGE AVAILABLE

In 1955 Topps released classic non-sports set of 200 cards called Rails & Sails. Then, mirroring what they
did with some subjects in their baseball set the same year, a stamp sheet was produced that had 31 full
fronts (one is missing) and another 22 part ia Is (one a mere snippet of a corner), of which 29 were Rails (16
complete) and 23 Sails (15 complete with one is missing from the sheet, which should be #131 "War
Galley" based upon the existing array).

Unlike the regular press sheets of cards, the stamp sheet has a narrow gutter separating the Rails cards
from the Sails cards. The Rails stamps range intermittently from #33-73, including partials, while the Sails
go from #131-150, partials included, with no gaps save the missing #131). The source of these stamps is
unknown but they likely came from the files of Woody Gelman. It is highly probable each stamp is one-of-a-
kind. The uncut sheet schematic shows how the stamps were all taken from one section each of a Rails
and Sails sheet (gray cells represent upside down stamps):

F
G

Partial

DIESEL

STEAM

BIRNEY

GAS ELECTRIC

REFR. CAR

LOCOMOTIVE

TROLLEY CAR

CAR

(Partial)

"YORK"

"GENERAL"

SWITCHING

FANCY

WR. CRANE

ENGINE

LOCOMOTIVE

(Partial)

"MUDDIGGER"

FLEET

INSPECTION

CRAMPTON

PAC. TY. L.

CONSOLIDATION

ENGINE

LOCO

(Partial)

STEAM

"HOLMAN'S

ROTARY

HORSE TREAD-

CASEY JNS

LOCOMOTIVE

ABSURDITY"

SAW PLOW

MILL CAR

(Partial)

Cutter

145

148

149

150

146

ANNE

HERRING

FISHING

OUTRIGGER

E. IND'MAN

MORGAN

DRIFTER

JUNK

CANOE

(Partial)

142

141

143

144

147

CHARLES

CANAL

INDIAN

FLAT

SHOW BOAT

H. WEST

BOAT

CANOE

BOAT

(Partial)

132

136

139

138

140

WHALE

NORWEGIAN

SKAFFIE

FISHING

USCGC

BACK

LONG SHIP

VESSEL

(Partial)

135

131 (inferred)

134

133

137

EXPRESS

WAR

CARAVEL

DESTROYER

SANTA MAR.

CRUISER

GALLEY

(Partial)

(Sources: Author's Research)

214

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RAILS & SAILS STAMPS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

FIRST CONSOLIDATION

2-8-0- LOCOMOTIVE

ROTARY SNOW PLOW

LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD

INSEPCTION ENGINE

LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

CLIMAX-GEARED TYPE

"HOLMAN'S ABSURDITY"

EXPERIMENTAL LOCO

"MUDDIGGER"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

SWITCHING ENGINE

DIESEL-HYDRAULIC

BIRNEY TROLLEY CAR

SAFETY TYPE

FARNEY LOCOMOTIVE

NEW YORK ELEVATED

GAS-ELECTRIC CAR

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

"YORK"

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

"GENERAL"

CIVIL WAR LOCOMOTIVE

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

NEW HAVEN RAILROAD

CRAMPTON LOCO

CAMDEN & AMBOY RR

HORSE TREADMILL CAR

BALTIMORE & OHIO RR

WHALE BACK

GREAT LAKES CARGO STEAMER

DESTROYER

UNITED STATES WARSHIP

CARAVEL

16TH CENTURY LIGHT VESSEL

EXPRESS CRUISER

CHRIS CRAFT PLEASURE BOAT

NORWEGIAN LONG SHIP

VIKING RAIDER

FISHING VESSEL

JAVA SEA INTER-ISLAND

SKAFFIE

SCOTTISH FISHING BOAT

CANAL BOAT

ERIE RIVER VESSEL

CHARLES H. WEST

MISSISSIPPI STERN WHEELER

INDIAN CANOE

BIRCH BARK, AMERICAN

FLAT BOAT

EARLY WESTERN CARGO CARRIER

ANNE MORGAN

NEW YORK HARBOR TUG BOAT

HERRING DRIFTER

ENGLISH FISHING BOAT

FISHING JUNK

MODERN CHINESE FISHING VESSEL

OUTRIGGER CANOE

MALAY TRADING BOAT

REGULAR SET
33

71
132
133
134
135
136
138
139
141
142
143
144
145
148
149
150

PRICING IS SPECULATIVE ON ALL EXAMPLES-EX COMMON STAMPS WOULD COMMAND UPWARDS OF $200

215

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RINGSIDE

Issued As: Ringside ACC #: R41 1

Issue Date: 1951 Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent (in panel form), 10 cent TCG cellophane (with two card panels)
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Base Set Size: 96 Number of Series: 2 Sheet Size: Unknown

JAMES CARTER

Lightweight
^ Born: Aiken, 5. Carolina
9 December 1 5, I923

Bouts: 7 3 Won: SI Lost: 16
Draw: 6 Knockouts: SI

Learned lo box at (he Catholic
Boys Club in Harlem. While work-
ing as a grocery clerk joined the
I . 5. Army in LVi S. Firs! ring com-
petition at pimp Clayhorn, La.
After discharge worked in a
Factory. Small pay turned him to
"Xing. In first Madison Square
n showing snipped champion
Ike Williams in ) I rounds to win
the lightweight lirlc. lias a 2 year
old son.

RINGSIDE

©r.c.G.

PRINtED IN LI. 5. A.

Dedicated U.S. boxing sets issued with gum were not seen in great numbers in the years following World
War 2. A handful of general or assorted subject sets had included some boxers (and wrestlers) before
Leaf issued a 49 card set in 1948. Topps surely took note of this and came out with their own Boxing and
Wrestling subsets in the first series of Magic Photo the same year. However, it would take three more
years for Ringside to hit the shelves.

Issued in two 48 card series around the time boxing and wrestling were ascendant as staples of early
Friday night television programming, Ringside had a broad assortment of current day boxers, some past
champions and even five wrestlers (six if you count the one tag team) and two referees in its 96 issued
cards. Well rendered illustrations of pugilists were set against mostly solid color backgrounds with a
small plate and either a laurel (for past champions) or a crown (for current ones) depicting the subject's
name and, in some instances, weight class. Card backs had a black box of vital statistics set next to a
card number with a boxing glove motif and then a paragraph or so of text below.

By virtue of this being a two series set it would seem Topps had enough success with the issue for it to be
followed by another the following year but this did not happen. The second series is often described as
being roughly twice as difficult as the first but pricing trends do not bear this out and all cards are
available in abundant supply. The key to the set is the first gum card of Rocky Marciano, shown just prior
to winning his first title. A handful of cards are condition rarities, likely due to their positioning on the
press sheets.

Issued in singles and panels, the latter being available in reasonably good numbers, Ringside is a smart
looking set. Even smarter looking is an eight card ad panel replicating the box cover artwork and then

216

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

some (it is larger), of which at least three different groups of eight were created. These are sometimes
referred to as puzzle backs and are quite striking. While other sets of this size and from this era had
similar advertising, Ringside's is the best known. These can be found as panels or singles today; it is
likely the singles were cut up after the fact but that is unconfirmed.

Five cent packs and wrappers, as with other Topps sets of similar issue, are difficult to find today.
Trading Card Guild ten cent cellos also held panels and contributed to the large amount of surviving
examples known today. There are two Jersey Joe Walcott cards in the set and other boxers appear again
on cards depicting two boxers from a specific fight. About the only big names missing are Jack Dempsey
and Rocky Graziano. A handful of cards are condition rarities but the subject of short prints is one where
there is not 100% agreement among collectors.

(Sources: America's Great Boxing Cards by Adam Warshaw, Author's Research)

Advertising Panel, fronts and backs (Author's Collection)

217

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RINGSIDE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

GUS LESNEVITCH

LIGHT HEAVY CHAMPION 1941-1948

HENRY ARMSTRONG

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1938-1939

JAKE LA MOTTA

MIDDLWEIGHT CHAMPION 1949-1951

JIMMY FLOOD-MIDDLEWEIGHT

MARCEL CERDAN

MIDDLWEIGHT CHAMPION 1948-1949

JERSEY JOE WALCOTT

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

GINO BUONVINO-HEAVYWEIGHT

JOEY MAXIM

LIGHT HEAVY CHAMPION

RUDY&EMILDUSEK

WRESTLING \

RANDY TURPIN

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1951

MAX BAER

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1934

BILLY CONN

LIGHT HEAVY CHAMPION 1939-1941

BILLY SOOSE

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1941

ROLAND LA STARZA-HEAVYWEIGHT

JAMES CARTER

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION

ART ARAGON-LIGHTWEIGHT

GENE STANLEE (MR. AMERICA)

WRESTLING |

JOHNNY SAXTON-WELTERWEIGHT

DON BUCCERONI-LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

JOE BAKSI-HEAVYWEIGHT

TONY JANIRO-MIDDLEWEIGHT

BEAU JACK

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1943

BOB SATTERFIELD-LIGHT HEAVY

JAMES J. BRADDOCK

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1936-1936

BOB BAKER-HEAVYWEIGHT

JOE MICELI-WELTERWEIGHT

PETEY SCALZO

FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1938-1941

SAL BARTOLO

FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1944

SANDY SADDLER

FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION

TONYZALE

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1940-1947

JERSEY JOE WALCOTT

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

ROCKY MARCIANO-HEAVYWEIGHT

WALTER CARTIER-MIDDLEWEIGHT

RAY ROBINSON VS. MARTY SERVO

CHICO VEJAR-WELTERWEIGHT

VICTOWEEL

FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION

EUGENE HAIRSTON-WELTERWEIGHT

LAURENT DAUTHUILLE-MIDDLEWEIGHT

BENNY LEONARD

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1917-1924

CESAR BRION-HEAVYWEIGHT

FREDDIE "RED" COCHRANE

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1941-1944

TIGER FLOWERS

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1926

RAY ROBINSON

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION

TONYZALE VS. MARCEL CERDAN

BARNEY ROSS

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1936-1938

RUBY GOLDSTEIN-REFEREE

BOB MONTGOMERY

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1944-1947

ROCKY CASTELLANI-MIDDLEWEIGHT

BOB MURPHY-LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

LOU AMBERS

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1939

JESS WILLARD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1915-1918

LEE SAVOLD-HEAVYWEIGHT

ANTONINO ROCCA

WRESTLING |

JIM JEFFRIES

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1899-1906

BOB FITZSIMMONS

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1897-1899

JOE GANS

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1901-1908

BERNARD DOCUSEN-WELTERWEIGHT

REX LAYNE-HEAVYWEIGHT

JAMES J. CORBETT

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1892-1897

ABE ATTELL

FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1908-1911

PETE MEAD-MIDDLEWEIGHT

ABE SIMON-HEAVYWEIGHT

TONYCANZONERI

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION 1930-1936

RAY MILLER-REFEREE

218

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

RINGSIDE CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

DESCRIPTION

FRITZIE PRUDEN-WELTERWEIGHT

LUIS FIRPO-HEAVYWEIGHT

PAUL BERLENBACH

LIGHT HEAVY CHAMPION 1925

STEVE BELLOISE-MIDDLEWIGHT

JOHN L SULLIVAN

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1882-1892

EDDIE COMPO-FEATHERWEIGHT

TONY PELLONE-WELTERWEIGHT

STANLEY KETCHELL

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1908-1910

KID GAVILAN

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION

BILLY GRAHAM-WELTERWEIGHT

KID GAVILAN VS. PADDY YOUNG

BILL BOSSIO-BANTAMWEIGHT

ILIO Dl PAOLO

WRESTLING

FRITZIE ZIVIC

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1940

RAY FAMECHON-FEATHERWEIGHT

CARTIER VS. HAIRSTON

FRED BESHORE-HEAVYWEIGHT

JOEY DE JOHN-MIDDLEWEIGHT

FRED APOSTOLI

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1938

CHARLIE FUSARI-WELTERWEIGHT

JOE WALCOTT VS. EZZARD CHARLES

DON EAGLE

WRESTLING

TOMMY LOUGHRAN

LIGHT HEAVY CHAMPION 1927-1929

JOE LOUIS

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1937-1949

CARLOS CHAVEZ-LIGHTWEIGHT

NICK BARRONE-LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

JIMMY HERRING-MIDDLEWEIGHT

AL HOSTAK

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION 1938

MARTY SERVO

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION 1946-1947

PADDY DE MARCO-LIGHTWEIGHT

GENETUNNEY

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1926-1928

EZZARD CHARLES

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1949-1951

GUS LESNEVITCH

HENRY ARMSTRONG

JERSEY JOE WALCOTT

ROCKY MARCIANO

175

BOB MURPHY

350

ABE ATTELL

PETE MEAD

KID GAVILAN

TOMMY LOUGHRAN

JOE LOUIS

CARLOS CHAVEZ

JIMMY HERRING

GENETUNNEY

EZZARD CHARLES

COMMON

SEMI STAR

COMMON PANEL

STAR PANEL

AD BACK

SET (SINGLES)

1400

SET (PANELS)

SPEC.

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

250

ONE CENT PACK

100

FIVE CENT PACK

400

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

750

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

1000

219

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ROUND-UP

Issued As: Western Round-Up

Issue Date: 1956

Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent, 5 cant paper, 10 cent clear cellophane

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 80 Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R712-3
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Sheet Size: 110/220

>RMlNG THE WALLS

No. 8 of 10 DANIEL BOONE CARDS

The Indians attacked and the settlers blasted them with
deadly accurate shots. They tried to scale the walls and break
down the gate but they were driven off with heavy casualties

PAINTED 1* U.5 A

Round-Up is believed to be the last of the Giant Size cards issued by Topps. The set purports, in eight
stories of ten cards each pertaining to a specific historical figure, to tell true tales of adventure in the Old
West. The first card in every grouping is a portrait of the historical figure, with some background detail
added. The portraits of Daniel Boone, Jesse James, Geronimo and Kit Carson are taken, with very slight
modification, from the ones used in Look 'N See while that of Wild Bill Hickok, the only other subject
appearing in both sets, appears to be a new drawing.

The cards, which also feature a small caption on the front of the action scenes in addition to a logo-ized
version of the subject's name, are quite colorful, although not finely illustrated. A short comic story
dominates the reverse. There are purported short prints but the set is available in good supply.

In addition to the standard 1-5-10 cent wrappers, Topps also issued a rare paper wrapper for unknown
reasons. The normal nickel wrapper for this set was made with a layered, colored cellophane that was
being experimented with by Topps at the time so maybe there were some issues with the packaging of
this set that led to the dalliance with paper or they just decided to test wrapper materials.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Author's
Research)

220

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

ROUND-UP CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

CAPTION

WILD BILL HICKOK

CHARGE!

WILD BILL HICKOK

SLASHING CLAWS

WILD BILL HICKOK

WILD BILL STRIKES!

WILD BILL HICKOK

QUICK SHOOTING

WILD BILL HICKOK

READY TO DRAW

WILD BILL HICKOK

FIGHTING FURY

WILD BILL HICKOK

POUNDING HOOFS

WILD BILL HICKOK

DEADLY MISTAKE

WILD BILL HICKOK

THE LAST SHOT

CALAMITY JANE

"DARING RESCUE"

CALAMITY JANE

INDIAN ATTACK

CALAMITY JANE

SHARPSHOOTING

CALAMITY JANE

REACH

CALAMITY JANE

HOORAY FOR JANE!

CALAMITY JANE

ROUGH RIDING

CALAMITY JANE

FIGHTING MAD

CALAMITY JANE

QUEEN OF THE WILD WEST

CALAMITY JANE

THE LAST RIDE

BUFFALO BILL

BULLSEYE!

BUFFALO BILL

RACE WITH DEATH

BUFFALO BILL

BUFFALO HUNT

BUFFALO BILL

SURPRISE RAID

BUFFALO BILL

DARING JUMP

BUFFALO BILL

THE ROYAL HUNT

BUFFALO BILL

TAKING AIM

BUFFALO BILL

ROARING WELCOME

BUFFALO BILL

FRONTIER FUN

WYATT EARP

PUT DOWN THAT GUN!

WYATT EARP

FLYING FISTS

WYATT EARP

SHOWER OF LEAD

WYATT EARP

WYATT'S BIG FIGHT

WYATT EARP

RUNNING BATTLE

WYATT EARP

RUSTLERS

WYATT EARP

GUN FIGHT

WYATT EARP

THE SHOWDOWN

WYATT EARP

LEAPING FURY

NUMBER

NAME

CAPTION

DANIEL BOONE

CAPTURED!

DANIEL BOONE

WAGON TRAIL

DANIEL BOONE

BEATING 'EM OFF

DANIEL BOONE

POW-WOW

DANIEL BOONE

FLASHING KNIVES

DANIEL BOONE

DANGEROUS MISSION

DANIEL BOONE

STORMING THE WALLS

DANIEL BOONE

LANDSLIDE!

DANIEL BOONE

FRONTIER JUSTICE

JESSE JAMES

CRUEL BEATING

JESSE JAMES

THE RAID

JESSE JAMES

CROSSFIRE

JESSE JAMES

THE HOLDUP

JESSE JAMES

TRAPPED

JESSE JAMES

DARING ROBBERY

JESSE JAMES

THE BLAST

JESSE JAMES

FIGHT FOR LIFE

JESSE JAMES

SNEAK ATTACK

GERONIMO

MASSACRE!

GERONIMO

WALL OF FLAME

GERONIMO

DOUBLE CROSSED!

GERONIMO

ESCAPE

GERONIMO

REVENGE

GERONIMO

NIGHT RIDERS

GERONIMO

FLAMING TERROR

GERONIMO

PEACE TALK

GERONIMO

FAST ACTION

KIT CARSON

BREAKING BRONCOS

KIT CARSON

AMBUSH!

KIT CARSON

GUN DUEL

KIT CARSON

PERFECT SHOT

KIT CARSON

THE CHASE

KIT CARSON

INDEPENDENCE DAY

KIT CARSON

SURROUNDED!

KIT CARSON

KIT'S GAMBLE

KIT CARSON

INDIAN WAR

COMMON

PORTRAIT CARDS

BASE SET (80)

175

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (CELLO)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (PAPER)

SPEC.

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK (CELLO)

FIVE CENT PACK (PAPER)

SPEC.

TEN CENT PACK (TCG)

100

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

221

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

SCOOP

Issued As: Scoop
Issue Date: 1954
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 156

Number of Series: 2

M™ MIRROR

ACC #: R714-19
Size: 2 1/16" x 2 15/16", 52 x 74.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 156?

EXTRA

LOS ANGELES, FRIDAY, JUL Y 10, lft.".,1

NEW GOLF KING

Ben Hogan Wins British Open In Scotland

Ben Hogsn on "ib 15th hole

BenHog-atiof Ft. "Worth, the same year. .:.■■

Texas, today became the 2J*2 for 72 holes in the Brit-

fiTst men in golf history to ish title event, coming f rem

win both the British and behind! to win.

American Open titles in i&r.c.c. fid. m u.ii.

op No. 130 -MILWAUKEE SHAVES

At first glance Scoop is one of the stranger offerings from Topps from the 1950's. It's the last set in a size
first introduced with Ringside in 1951 and also used for three sets issued in panels, but like Look 'N See it
is not a panelized issue. It was issued in the midst of the tussles with Bowman and the battle of Giant Size
cards and would seemingly have benefitted from larger dimensions but its cards also came with most of
their fronts obscured by two wide, black scratch off bars, which added to the production costs. This last
element was integral to the gimmick of the set, which was "Scratch It-Peel It-See It Now!" and advertised
as a "magic headline". This is key as it shows how the set clearly was inspired by "Walter Cronkite's TV
series "See It Now", which was airing on CBS television at the time and featured Uncle Walter "reporting"
on various historical events.

Once scratched there is a colorful scene accompanied by a headline, which was printed askew on the
front and which tied in with the backs, which featured mock newspaper front pages covering the historic
event shown on the obverse. A small black and white illustrated picture or photo also appeared in the
middle of the newspaper page on the reverse and there was a teaser for the next card in the series as
well, printed in a black bar below the "front page". For the most part, the names and logos of the
newspapers are those of actual papers but the stories are pure Topps fabrications.

The set features well done but not expertly rendered illustrations, which can be quite lurid. The scratch
off bars had, on some examples, the set's tagline (with an added logo for the set) printed atop them in
white, although many more were just blank. It is thought by some the printed version of the bars came on
cards from penny packs and the top card in the nickel packs but this is unconfirmed. Many cards were
also issued without any coatings whatsoever. "Scratched" cards can display remnants of the bands,
which at this date have fused with the cardboard and cannot be removed by today's hobbyists.
Unscratched cards, while a distinct curiosity, are not really collectable.

222

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

Two series of 78 cards each were issued, so the set clearly saw some success but the last series is a bit
tougher than the first. Surviving pieces of uncut sheets show the array was likely 13 x 12, which would
mean there were no short prints in either series. This size, an increase from the 11x11 array used for
other cards of these dimensions, may be related to an equipment upgrade by Lord Baltimore Printing. The
fonts used for the event and date on the card fronts are slightly thinner on the high numbers.

Scoop features a wide array of subjects, including four baseball-themed ones, not to mention four boxing-
themed cards, including one of Jack Dempsey, who was glaringly absent from Ringside. While these are
popular and expensive cards, especially the ones of Dempsey and Babe Ruth, the highest valued card
belongs to the golfer Ben Hogan. There is a heavy reliance in the first series upon war related events, no
surprise given the times. The most recent event depicted is second series card of a jet breaking the speed
record on November 20, 1953 (Card #139). This supersedes a similar subject in the first series dated
October 29, 1953 and pegs the "locking in" of the first series between the two dates described. The
earliest date shown is February 4, 1184 B.C., which is a bit fanciful in terms of precision but shows Troy
falling to the Greeks.

The cards seem to tone a bit more on the back than the typical Topps issues of the time. Whether a
different cardboard stock than the usual was required due to the black banding is unknown.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Author's
Research)

Scratch it off
Peel if off

See it now!

Unscratched cards came with or without the set's motto printed on them (Author's Collection)

223

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

SCOOP CHECKLIST

NUMBER

EVENT

DATE

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

APRIL 18, 1906

FIRE SWEEPS CHIVAGO

OCTOBER 8, 1871

LINDBERGH FLIES ATLANTIC

MAY 21, 1927

BATTLESHIP MAINE BLOWN UP

FEBRUARY 15, 1898

LIUSITANIA SINKS

MAY 7, 1915

LINCOLN SHOT

APRIL 14, 1865

MONITOR BATTLES MERRIMAC

MARCH 9, 1862

ALAMO FALLS

MARCH 6, 1836

GARFIELD SHOT

JULY 2, 1881

PANAMA CANAL OPENED

AUGUST 15, 1914

STATUE OF LIBERTY UNVEILED

OCTOBER 28, 1886

FIRST ATOM BOMB DROPPED

AUGUST 6, 1945

VICTORY FOR ROUGH RIDERS

JULY 1, 1898

president Mckinley shot

SEPTEMBER 6, 1901

FIRST AIRPLANE FLIGHT

DECEMBER 17, 1903

D-DAY LANDING ON NORMANDY

JUNE 6, 1944

S.S. TITANIC SINKS

APRIL 15, 1932

WORLD WAR 1 DECLARED

AUGUST 2, 1914

PEARL HARBOR ATTACKED

DECEMBER 7, 1941

DIRIGBLE HINDENBURG BURNS

MAY 6, 1937

U.S. TROOPS REACH FRANCE

JUNE 26, 1917

UNITED NATIONS BORN

JUNE 26, 1945

WAR IN KOREA

JUNE 25, 1950

RETREAT FROM DUNKIRK

MAY 26, 1940

KING EDWARD ABDICATES

DECEMBER 11, 1936

ATLANTIC CHARTER DRAFTED

AUGUST 14, 1941

BOB FELLER STRIKEOUT KING

OCTOBER 2, 1938

BOSTON TEA PARTY

DECEMBER 16, 1773

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

SEPTEMBER 15, 1940

LANDINGS ON NORTH AFRICA

NOVEMBER 8, 1942

ROOSEVELT WINS 4TH TERM

NOVEMBER 7, 1944

WORLD WAR II BEGINS

SEPTEMBER 1, 1939

MacARTHUR RETURNS

OCTOBER 20, 1944

DOOLITTLE BOMBS TOKYO

APRIL 18, 1942

GOLD DISCOVERED

JANUARY 24, 1848

MARINES LAND AT IWO JIMA

FEBRUARY 19, 1945

JOHN BROWN'S RAID

OCTOBER 16, 1859

OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH

APRIL 22, 1889

DEMPSEY DEFEATS WILLARD

JULY 4, 1919

JOE LOUIS NEW CHAMP

JUNE 27, 1937

BABE RUTH SETS RECORD

SEPTEMBER 30, 1927

MASSACRE IN CHICAGO

FEBRUARY 14, 1929

NORMANDIE CAPSIZES

FEBRUARY 9, 1942

EAST MEETS WEST

MAY 10, 1869

CUSTER'S LAST STAND

JUNE 25, 1876

PONY EXPRESS STARTS

APRIL 3, 1860

ARMISTICE SIGNED

NOVEMBER 11, 1918

BLIZZARD SWEEPS NEW YORK

MARCH 11, 1888

BLACK TOM EXPLODES

JULY 30, 1916

FULTON'S STEAMBOAT

AUGUST 17, 1807

WASHINGTON INAUGURATED

APRIL 30, 1789

QUEEN ELIZABETH II CROWNED

JUNE 2, 1953

GANDHI MURDERED

JANUARY 30, 1948

STOCK MARKET CRASHES

OCTOBER 29, 1929

PEARY DISCOVERS NORTH POLE

APRIL 6, 1909

BYRD REACHES SOUTH POLE

NOVEMBER 28, 1929

VICTORY IN EUROPE

MAY 7, 1945

JAPANESE SURRENDER

SEPTEMBER 2, 1945

BIG 3 MEET AT YALTA

FEBRUARY 11, 1945

ACROBAT CROSSES NIAGARA

SEPTEMBER 14, 1860

BERLIN AIRLIFT BEGINS

APRIL 1, 1948

BANDITS ROB BRINK'S

JANUARY 14, 1950

224

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

SCOOP CHECKLIST

MORRO CASTLE BURNS

SEPTEMBER 8, 1934

QUINTUPLETS BORN

MAY 28, 1934

MARCIANO K.O.'S WALCOTT

SEPTEMBER 23, 1952

JET BREAKS SPEED RECORD

OCTOBER 29, 1953

67
68

KOREA TRUCE SIGNED

JET PASSES SOUND BARRIER

JULY 27, 1953
OCTOBER 14, 1947

PICCARD DESCENDS 2 MILES UNDER SEA

SEPTEMBER 30, 1953

MT. EVEREST CLIMBED

MAY 28, 1953

JOHN L. SULLIVAN DEFEATED

SEPTEMBER 7, 1892

EDERLE SWIMS CHANNEL

AUGUST 16, 1926

JOHNSTOWN FLOODED

MAY 31, 1889

MUSSOLINI DEAD

APRIL 27, 1945

DILLINGERSHOT

JULY 22, 1934

BROOKLYN BRIDGE OPENED

MAY 24, 1883

HURRICANE IN FLORIDA

SEPTEMBER 19, 1947

WAR WITH MEXICO

MAY 13, 1946

BRITISH LOSE AT NEW ORLEANS

JANUARY 8, 1815

NATHAN HALE HANGED

SEPTEMBER 22, 1776

JOHN PAUL JONES WINS NAVAL BATTLE

SEPTEMBER 24, 1779

82
83

HAMILTON SHOT IN DUEL
BATTLE OF MANILA BAY

JULY 11, 1804
MAY 1, 1898

CHIEF RED CLOUD DEFEATED

AUGUST 2, 1867

JESSE JAMES ROBS TRAIN

JULY 21, 1873

INDIANS DEFEAT GEN. CROOK

JUNE 17, 1876

JOAN OF ARC BURNED

MAY 30, 1431

TROY FALLS TO GREEKS

FEB. 4, 1184 B.C.

ROME BURNED

COLUMBUS DISCOVERS AMERICA

SEPTEMBER 13, 64 A.D.
OCTOBER 12, 1492

POMPEII DESTROYED

JUNE 28, 79 A.D.

U.S. NAVY BATTLES PIRATES

FEBRUARY 16, 1804

UNITED STATES GETS FLAG

JUNE 14, 1777

LEWIS & CLARK REACH PACIFIC

NOVEMBER 7, 1805

CHIEF SITTING BULL KILLED

DECEMBER 15, 1890

96
97

GERONIMO SURRENDERS
CAPTAIN KIDD HANGED

SEPTEMBER 3, 1886
MAY 24, 1701

WITCH-HUNTS IN SALEM

SEPTEMBER 22, 1692

FORT SUMTER SURRENDERS

APRIL 13, 1861

BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE

NOVEMBER 7, 1811

PERRY OPENS DOOR TO JAPAN

JUNE 13, 1854

STANLEY FINDS LIVINGSTON

NOVEMBER 10, 1871

103
104

MAGELLAN'S SHIP CIRCLES WORLD
U.S.S. PANAYSUNK

SEPTEMBER 16, 1522
DECEMBER 12, 1937

PILGRIMS LAND AT PLYMOUTH

DECEMBER 26, 1620

BRIDGE CRASHES

NOVEMBER 7, 1940

CIRCUS BLAZE

JULY 6, 1944

SKYSCRAPER CRASH

JULY 28, 1945

BIKINI A-BOMB TEST

JUNE 30, 1946

NOTRE DAME'S 4 HORSEMEN

NOVEMBER 17, 1923

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

JULY 4, 1776

GEN. BRADDOCK DEFEATED

JULY 9, 1755

SPANISH ARMADA DEFEATED

JULY 29, 1588

SUEZ CANAL OPENED

NOVEMBER 17, 1869

NAPOLEON LOSES AT WATERLOO

JUNE 18, 1915

DAIMLER TESTS FIRST AUTO

NOVEMBER 10, 1886

FLAGPOLE SITTING RECORD SET

JULY 20, 1930

JULIUS CAESAR ASSASINATED

MARCH 15, 44 B.C.

PLAGUE SWEEPS LONDON

MAY 8, 1665

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

APRIL 28, 1789

WEST POINT TRAINS CADETS

APRIL 29, 1812

'WILD BILL" HICKOK SHOT

AUGUST 5, 1876

BOY SCOUTS ORGANIZED

FEBRUAY8, 1910

TOP NAZIS TO HANG

SEPTEMBER 30, 1946

225

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

SCOOP CHECKLIST

NUMBER

EVENT

DATE

125

NEW STATE OF ISREAL

MAY 14, 1948

126

CARLSEN QUITS SINKING SHIP

JANUARY 10, 1952

127

FLYING SAUCERS

JULY 29, 1952

128

JESSE OWENS RACES HORSE

DECEMBER 26, 1936

129

BEN HOGAN NEW GOLF KING

JULY 10, 1952

130

BRAVES GO TO MILWAUKEE

MARCH 18, 1953

131

CORRIGAN FLIES WRONG WAY

JULY 17, 1938

132

EISENHOWER ELECTED

NOVEMBER 4, 1952

133

ERIE CANAL OPENED

OCTOBER 26, 1825

134

FIRST BALLOON FLIGHT

JUNE 5, 1783

135

FLOOD KILLS HUNDREDS

MAY 18, 1927

136

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT DIES

APRIL 12, 1945

137

NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR

APRIL 30, 1939

138

RADAR BEAM REACHES MOON

JANUARY 10, 1946

139

AIR SPEED RECORD SET

NOVEMBER 20, 1953

140

BRITISH BURN WHITE HOUSE

AUGUST 24, 1814

141

CORNWALUS SURRENDERS

OCTOBER 19, 1781

142

GOLD STORED AT FORT KNOX

JUNE 23, 1938

143

LOUIS XVI GUILLOTINED

JANUARY 21, 1793

144

FRANKLIN'S FAMOUS EXPERIMENT

JUNE 14, 1752

145

BRODIE JUMPS OFF BROOKLYN BRIDGE

JULY 24, 1886

146

"LIBERTY OR DEATH"

MARCH 23, 1775

147

INDIANS SELL MANHATTAN

APRIL 1, 1623

148

U.S. BUYS LOUISIANA

OCTOBER 19, 1803

149

LEIF ERICCSON FINDS FINLAND

APRIL 17, 1000 A.D.

150

POCAHONTAS SAVES COLONIST

MARCH 22, 1608

151

UNITED STATES BUYS ALASKA

MARCH 30, 1867

152

SHIP SETS SPEED RECORD

JULY 15, 1952

153

T.V.A. COMPLETED

JULY 16, 1945

154

26-INNING TIE GAME

MAY 1, 1920

155

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

OCTOBER 25, 1854

156

WORLD'S LARGEST TELESCOPE BUILT

JUNE 3, 1948

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

BOB FELLER STRIKEOUT KING

DEMPSEY DEFEATS WILLARD

JOE LOUIS NEW CHAMP

BABE RUTH SETS RECORD

MARCIANO K.O.'S WALCOTT

JOHN L. SULLIVAN DEFEATED

110

NOTRE DAME'S 4 HORSEMEN

128

JESSE OWENS RACES HORSE

129

BEN HOGAN NEW GOLF KING

125

156

WORLD'S LARGEST TELESCOPE BUILT

COMMON (1-78)

COMMON (79-156)

COMMON (UNSCRATCHED)

POPULAR SUBJECTS

SET

1200

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

175

FIVE CENT PACK

300

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

500

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

300

226

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TARZAN & THE SHE DEVIL

Issued As: Tarzan 3D
Issue Date: 1953
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 60

ACC #: R714-21
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Number of Series: 1 Sheet Size: 100/200

TARZAN £ WE SH£ DtVIL

SCENE 9-RUNNIriG IN DANCER
J JUS friends, the Laikopos, need
ff his help, and Tarzan starts for
the trading post of Dagar. It is
where he thinks the slavers would
have taken the natives, and it
would be a place of much danger.
But danger is always waiting for
Tarzan . , . even as he runs through
the jungle. The first sign is the
chattering of Cheeta. Tarzan turns,
just in time to see Numa, the lion,
about to leap on him !

SEE SCENE 10— The Lien Leaps

J UHCL £ 1MB

The Rate! Is also called "Honey
Badger" because it resembles
a badger and is fond of wild
honey. It also eats rats, birds,
frogs and insects.

Tarzan & The She Devil was a blatant attempt by Topps to exploit the mushrooming market for 3D movies
and comics books in 1953. Released on June 18, 1953, the motion picture of the same name was a simple
black & white affair, with no cutting edge technology. Topps created a 60 card set that had a 3D effect on
the front of the card instead of the reverse, as would be expected. Comic book artist Joe Kubert was
enlisted to create the 3-D layouts, which were quite intricate.

Designed to be viewed with a set of branded 3D glasses that came free alongside the packs, the fronts are
illustrated and do not feature scenes from the movie. A red dot and corresponding blue dot appear on
either corner along the bottom of the card, along with the set name and brief title of the scene shown. A
black border that bleeds to all four edges makes this a difficult set in high grade. Backs are bordered in
dark green with the set title across the top, a paragraph of text and a feature called Jungle Land that
presents a small illustration and purported fact about life in Africa.

A large find of penny packs and glasses was uncovered well after the original release and as a result
wrappers, packs, cards and glasses are fairly easy to find today. The difficulty of viewing the cards
without 3D glasses has muted the popularity of the set to a degree. 3D glasses issued in Canada have
some text in French on them.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Jay
Lynch, http://www.nslists.com/tarzshed.htm . Author's Research)

227

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TARZAN & THE SHE DEVIL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

LORD OF THE JUNGLE

LEAPING DEATH

ARRIVAL AT DAGER

A PLAN IS MADE

TARZAN AND HIS MATE

UNDERWATER FUN

CHEETA STEALS AN EGG

HELP IS NEEDED

RUNNING THRU THE JUNGLE

THE LION LEAPS

LOOKING AT THE SLAVES

WAITING TO STRIKE

TARZAN ATTACKS

FREEING THE SLAVES

CHEETA JOINS THE FUN

RACE FOR SAFETY

SURROUNDED BY GUARDS

FIGHT WITH A GIANT

TARZAN THROWS SELIM

OVER THE WALL

PRACTICE FOR BATTLE

THE SAFARI APPROACHES

ROLLING DEATH

TARZAN'S ULTIMATUM

THE ELEPHANTS APPROACH

TREACHERY IS PLANNED

THE LAIKOPOS ARE TRAPPED

STRUGGLE AGAINST CAPTURE

ESCAPE FROM FLAMES

THROUGH THE TREES

TARZAN FALLS

THE ROPES ARE BROKEN

CAN JANE BE DEAD?

CAPTURED

THREAT FROM A SNAKE

CARRIED TO SAFETY

TARZAN IS WHIPPED

MOVING THROUGH THE JUNGLE

SLASHING JAWS

CHEETA TRIES TO HELP

THE STOCKADE IS BUILT

THE FAITHFUL FRIEND

AFTER FRESH FOOD

BULLETS AGAINST TUSKS

TREACHERY IS OVERHEARD

JANE IS TRAPPED

TARZAN IS HELPLESS

A SHOT IN TIME

TARZAN SEES JANE

TARZAN SUBMITS

THE GUN IS READY

TARZAN'S YELL

AN ANSWER FROM THE JUNGLE

THE ELEPHANTS CHARGE

"INTO THE STOCKADE"

JANE MUST BE RESCUED

NOT A MINUTE TO LOSE

ROCKY PROTECTION

THE LAIKOPOS ARE FREE

FREE ONCE MORE

LORD OF THE JUNGLE

FREE ONCE MORE

COMMON

SET

125

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

100

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

3D GLASSES

228

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY

Issued As: Tarzan 3D
Issue Date: 1954?
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 60

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-22
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 100/200

A virtual clone of Tarzan & The She Devil, Tarzan's Savage Fury portrayed a movie released on March 14,
1 952, or fifteen months prior to the movie portrayed in the first Topps Tarzan release. Many sources cite
it as a 1954 issue; it was issued in the same packaging used for Tarzan & The She Devil, including the 3D
glasses so Topps may have just dashed the entire set off without too much fanfare, hoping to catch what
was left of the waning 3-D craze.

Topps once again created a 60 card set with the help of Joe Kubert's layouts that had a 3D effect on the
front of the card instead of the reverse. Designed to be viewed with a set of branded 3D glasses that came
free alongside the packs, the fronts are illustrated and do not feature scenes from the movie. A red dot
and corresponding blue dot appear on either corner along the bottom of the card, along with the set name
and brief title of the scene shown. A green border that bleeds to all four edges makes this a difficult set
in high grade. Backs are bordered in orange with the set title across the top, a paragraph of text and a
feature called Jungle Land that presents a small illustration and purported fact about life in Africa.

A large find of penny packs and glasses from Tarzan & The She Devil was uncovered well after the original
release and as a result wrappers and glasses are fairly easy to find today. The difficulty of viewing the
cards without 3D glasses has muted the popularity of the set to a degree. 3D glasses issued in Canada
have some text in French on them. Tarzan's Savage Fury cards are more difficult to find than those from
Tarzan & The She Devil.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible, Author's
Research)

229

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

JUNGLE MASTER

TREACHERY

A STRANGE PLAN

LIVING BAIT

GAPING JAWS

TARZAN FIGHTS

TARZAN MEETS JOE

JUNGLE FRIENDS

FOOD NEEDED

TERROR-FILLED EYES

JUNGLE TRAVEL

TARZAN AND JANE

IN THE WATER

DANGER APPROCAHES

THE MEETING

MAGIC TRICKS

MEMORY OF THE PAST

JANE'S PLEA

ON THE TRAIL

BLACK DEATH

FACING A RHINO

BUILDING A RAFT

CROSSING THE RIVER

THE HIPPO CHARGES

RESCUE

MOUNTAIN TERRORS

DESERT TORTURE

THE WATER HOLE

DESERTED VILLAGE

THE CANNIBALS

CANNIBAL ATTACK

A DIRECT HIT

TARZAN'S FIGHT

THE WAZURI

SURROUNDED

THE WAZURI VILLAGE

THE WITCHDOCTOR

THE PRISONERS

THE TORTURE MACHINE

WAZURI CHIEF

TEMPLE OF DIAMONDS

TARZAN'S MISSION

CHEETA'S DISCOVERY

ROKOFF'S MAGIC

THIEVES AT WORK

MURDER!

A MESSAGE FOR TARZAN

TARZAN'S OLD HOME

INSIDE THE HUT

THIEVES' ESCAPE

OVER THE CLIFF

TARZAN IN DANGER

THREAT TO JANE

JOE AND THE LIONS

HELP FROM A PAL

TARZAN'S FURY

DEATH FOR A KILLER

RACE AGAINST TIME

JANE IS SAVED

HOMEWARD BOUND

JUNGLE MASTER

HOMEWARD BOUND

COMMON

SET

400

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

150

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

125

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

3D GLASSES

230

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

TATOO

Issued As: Tatoo (1948, 1949 & 1953), Carnival (1949),

Packaging: 1 cent, all three years, 10 cent Tourist Pouch with 10 1 cent tabs (1948)

Year ACC #: Size Base Set Size Manufacturer

1948
1949
1953

R711-7 1 1/8" x 2 3/8", 28.5 x 60.5 mm -100 Bubbles, Inc.

R711-7 1 1/8" x 2 5/8", 28.5 x 67 mm -100 Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

R711-7 1 9/16" x 3 1/2", 39.5 x 89 mm -150 Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

MUDffi lui.i inn ,tipi*i
tinfiiii UHr IIiMiIii HUB
" H aiiilm! ntllll ftf
linfi ill tilt ■'■UWMM

1948

1949

1953

Tatoo was the first novelty produced by Topps, appearing in the summer of 1948. The original iteration
featured their traditional tab sized gum with a crude water activated tattoo on the inside of the paper
wrapper. These were sold individually but also came in something called a "Tourist" pouch (as per the
name on the retail box), that held ten tabs and was designed to be a party favor or an item perhaps
brought home from a carnival as a prize. The pouches were sold in a counter display and it is likely Topps
seeded contest forms into each one (which was really just cardboard) that led to Sy Berger's first defined
role at Topps. Sales literature and contemporary articles stated there were 100 subjects in the set; this is
a figure that has not been confirmed as it is doubtful anyone has collected a full set and the different
tatoos have not been fully checklisted to this day. The issue was credited to Bubbles Inc., similar to what
they did with Bazooka, to avoid a common identification with Topps Gum, which was marketed to adults.

Some original artwork is known as well and has been sold via the Topps Vault. Issued examples from
1948 are the hardest to find but not in high demand due to the lack of an associated movie or TV show
and general lack of interest in the ephemeral tattoo issues. An intact tourist pouch would have to be
considered a rare item.

All wrappers and unopened packs sold at retail will exhibit a small, jagged tear at or near the middle glue
point extending to the top border; this was a Topps production flaw dating back to 1938 and was not
caused by opening the wrappers. Wrappers without the tear are likely proofs or salesmen's samples, as
illustrated above. A recent find of nearly 100 1948 Atlas wrappers (leftmost tatoo image above) all without
the tear seemingly supports the samples theory. The 1948 wrappers contain written instructions on how
to apply the tattoo; it is the only wrapper of three that is dated by copyright as well.

231

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

The set must have been a success as Topps reissued it in October of 1949, this time with a Topps credit
on the slightly longer wrapper. This version was designed for vending sales as well as in the traditional
Topps round counter bin. The binned tabs, which featured wrappers a quarter-inch longer in length than in
1948 and a three paneled series of instructions in graphic form, an element that would remain unchanged
on Topps tatoo (and tattoo) wrappers until the end of the penny line in the late 1960's. These graphics are
why the wrapper was extended slightly, so as not to crowd it. The little production "rip" in the top border
of the wrapper returned as well. These also carried a "Carnival" moniker on the box, similar to the
"Parade" them used on the Flags of the World set; these types of marketing terms apparently were coined
due to Topps' association with the circus and their cooperative advertising in comic books. In keeping
with the festive theme, the gum was produced in six different colors, much like they did with Magic Photo.

1953 saw a new wrapper size debut in a larger format that essentially was the 1949 version blown up a
bit. Topps purportedly added another 50 subjects as well. Wrappers once again are credited to Topps and
have the traditional production "rip". Box displays advertised a number of themes: Western, Sports,
Comics, Navy, Space, Animals, Army and Circus. The Carnival moniker had disappeared by this time
though. The 1953 wrapper size would be used until the end of the one cent tatoo production era in the
late 1960's.

American Card Catalog Numbering for this set seemingly incorporates all three issues of Tatoo; with the
three different designs and sizes, suffixes of a,b and c should have been assigned to the respective sets
but this did not happen. A checklist will not be presented for this set and pricing can be broken down into
simple categories:

1 948 Opened Wrapper: $20

1949 Opened Wrapper: $15
1953 Opened Wrapper: $10

1948 Unopened Pack: $60

1949 Unopened Pack: $50
1953 Unopened Pack: $40

Box (Empty): Speculative (all 3 years)
Tourist Pouch (Empty): Speculative

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Author's Research)

iridiums i,-,,, ibis «-iig,i
CMlhlli. lull liittml mil
illill. II Mrtttlll HrflW lit
(Hilt Hi III!

Typical Example of a Tatoo with production rip at top (Author's Collection)

232

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

U.S. PRESIDENTS

Issued As: U.S. Presidents
Issue Date: 1956
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 36

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R714-23
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 3/4", 63.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

f mm T

.J:

THOMAS JEFFERSON

■ 3RD PRESIDENT. 1801-1809

Jefferson, like Washington, was a Vir-
ginia planter. Born at Shadwell, Apr.
13, 1743. As a boy, he rode horseback,
hunted, fished. Studied Greek, Latin,
French. Liked to play violin while his
sister played a keyboard instrument
called the harpsichord. Graduate of
William and Mary College. Built a
beautiful home called Monticello.
Fought constantly to uphold human
rights. Championed freedom of the
press, speech and religion. Drafted
Declaration of Independence. Worked
at the task 18 days. Governor of Vir-
ginia. Secretary of state for Wash-
ington. Vice-president during presi-
dency of John Adams. Became presi-
dent in 1801. Louisiana was purchased
during his first term.

Issued after the purchase of Bowman from Connelly Containers in 1956, U.S. Presidents is a 36 card set
that shaved 1/8" in width off the typical Topps Giant Size card of the era. That gave it the same
dimensions as Bowman's largest cards while it also counted as the shortest length Non-Sports set issued
by Topps to date. This all supports speculation that Bowman's printer, Zabel Brothers Lithographers of
Philadelphia, was enlisted to print this set in a test of their equipment and methods by Topps, although it
does not prove it. It's entirely possible Bowman had a reissue of their 1952 set all ready to go at the time
of the purchase and Topps just changed the manufacturer's information on the card; they had used such a
reprinting strategy before to save costs.

Using the same artwork as a similar 1952 Bowman issue, full color portraits with colorful backgrounds
make this a popular set, although it was produced in massive quantities by Topps. Card backs recycle
text from the earlier Bowman issue along with some updated graphics. Collectors will note that with only
34 presidential terms having been served by 33 men through 1956 and with Grover Cleveland allotted but
a single card, three cards had to be added and indeed numbers 1 and 2, representing Washington Takes
Command and the Declaration of Independence are joined by no. 7, Burning of White House in both the
Bowman and Topps sets. Unlike the rest of the set, these cards are all in a horizontal format. The
packaging for U.S. Presidents advertises Bazooka and not Bowman's Blony.

Topps must have liked what they saw from Zabel Brothers as they would replace Lord Baltimore Printing
as their main printer by the beginning of the 1960's. That may be the most remarkable thing about this set.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Author's Research)

233

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

U.S. PRESIDENTS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

WASHINGTON TAKES COMMAND

DECLARATION OF IDEPENDENCE

GEORGE WASHINGTON

JOHN ADAMS

THOMAS JEFFERSON

JAMES MADISON

BURNING OF WHITE HOUSE

JAMES MONROE

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ANDREW JACKSON

MARTIN VAN BUREN

WM. HENRY HARRISON

JOHN TYLER

JAMES K. POLK

ZACHARY TAYLOR

MILLARD FILLMORE

FRANKLIN PIERCE

JAMES BUCHANAN

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

ANDREW JOHNSON

ULYSSES GRANT

RUTHERFORD HAYES

JAMES A. GARFIELD

CHESTER A. ARTHUR

GROVER CLEVELAND

BENJAMIN HARRISON

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

WILLIAM H.TAFT

WOODROW WILSON

WARREN G. HARDING

CALVIN COOLIDGE

HERBERT C. HOOVER

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

HARRY S.TRUMAN

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

PRICING

COMMON

SET

125

ONE CENT WRAPPER

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

ONE CENT PACK

FIVE CENT PACK

200

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

234

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

VARSITY FOOTBALL

Issued As: Varsity, a.k.a. Felt Backs
Issue Date: 1949
Packaging: 1 cent tab
Base Set Size: 100

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R415-1
Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: Unknown

Duke

Varsity was the first Topps insert card set devoted to a specific sport, namely college football. With
Bowman having the National Football league locked up, Topps had to look to the collegiate gridiron for the
100 subjects that fill this intriguing tab-sized issue. This was not as risky a move as it seems since the
college game was quite popular in 1949 with the NFL still a decade away from explosive growth.

The cards feature full bleed, full color borders on one side, with a small black and white photo of the
player, underneath which is his name, position (often with a peppy adjective added) and school
information contained in a black box. Four cards do not follow this pattern: John Miller and James O'Day
have their names appearing above their photo, Ed Modzelewski has his position and school flipped and
Clayton Tonnemaker has no position shown (he was a center in college).

The other side of the card displays a felt-like pennant of the subject's school. The full color backgrounds
are ordered in groups of 25 and a player only appears with one color background, with the exception of 25
that each appear in both yellow and brown. Blue, red and green comprise the other three color groupings.
Schools with more than one player represented all have the same color backgrounds; for instance both
Boston College players appear in green while all three Cornell stars have red backgrounds.

Introduced after the 1949 World Series, Varsity was designed to be sold during the college football
season, no doubt intended to peak around the time of the major bowl games around New Year's. The
repeating of players in the yellow and brown series would indicate at least two press runs were printed;
the reasons for changing the colors from one to the other appears to be a mystery lost to time although
production difficulties with one of them seems likely. Some collectors believe the brown backgrounds are
more difficult to find than yellow and both appear to be scarcer than the other three colors. 25 card panels
are known in the hobby but it is unclear if this was the size of the press sheet and it seems probable it
was not. The final run did not sell through and Topps sold off packs in bulk, along with extras of other
issues such as Golden Coin and Tatoo in the spring of 1950; 100 packs for 94 cents featuring six issues
that had not done well at retail.

The combination of "felt" and full bleed borders makes finding high grade examples extremely difficult. A
grade of EX is considered high for cards in this set. Miscuts and oddly angled edges are frequently

235

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

encountered as the felt may have made cutting more difficult than normal. Some accounts have two cards
being inserted into each penny gum tab; that seems unlikely but certainly not impossible. The wrapper,
which carries a 1949 date, has an interior featuring premium offers for larger pennants and letter and
numerals that could be used to make football uniforms out of T-shirts; these were staples of the early
Topps premium program and would outlast the issue. The interior gum wrapper can be either wax or foil
lined paper but was not all foil, which is often used to pass off modern repackaging efforts as original.

(Sources: "Examining the 1949-50 Topps Felt Backs" by Rick Hines, Sports Collectors Digest December
31, 1993, "Information Pours in on Topps Felt Backs" by Rick Hines, Sports Collectors Digest January 21,
1 994, http://www.footballcardgallery.com/ , Author's research)

VARSITY FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

POSITION

SCHOOL

N0#

LOU ALLEN

CAPTAIN AND TACKLE

DUKE UNIVERSITY

N0#

MORRIS BAILEY

SPEEDY END

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

N0#

GEORGE BELL

HARD-RUNNING QUARTERBACK

UNIV. OF OREGON

N0#

LINDY BERRY

CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

N0#

MIKE BOLDIN

RUGGED GUARD

PITTSBURGH

N0#

BERNIE BOTULA

RUGGED CENTER

WASH. AND JEFF. COL.

N0#

BOB BOWLBY

CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK

NORTH CAROLINA STATE

N0#

BOB BUCHER

TOUGH GUARD

BUCKNELL

N0#

AL BURNETT

TOP-FLIGHT END

RUTGERS

N0#

DON BURSON

ELUSIVE QUARTERBACK

NORTHWESTERN U.

N0#

PAUL CAMPBELL

ACE PASSING QUARTERBACK

U. OF TEXAS

N0#

HERB CAREY

CAPTAIN AND FULLBACK

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

N0#

BIMBO CECCONI

BLAZING HALFBACK

PITTSBURGH

N0#

BILL CHAUNCEY

SWIFT FULLBACK

IOWA STATE

N0#

DICK CLARK

ALL-EASTERN TACKLE

CORNELL

N0#

TOM COLEMAN

CAPTAIN AND TACKLE

GEORGIA TECH.

N0#

BILLY CONN

ALL-AMERICAN HALFBACK

GEORGETOWN U.

N0#

JOHN COX

FLASHY FULLBACK

UNIV. OF FLORIDA

N0#

LOU CREEKMUR

BRAWNY TACKLE

WILLIAM AND MARY

N0#

GLEN DAVIS

FAST-MOVING HALFBACK

OHIO UNIVERSITY

N0#

WARREN "BRUD" DAVIS

CAPTAIN AND CENTER

COLGATE U.

N0#

BOB DEUBER

CRASHING FULLBACK

U. OF PENNSYLVANIA

N0#

RAYDOONEY

CO-CAPTAIN AND HALFBACK

U. OF PENNSYLVANIA

N0#

TOM DUBLINSKI

PASSING QUARTERBACK

UNIV. OF UTAH

N0#

JEFF FLEISCHMANN

LEADING FULLBACK

CORNELL

N0#

JACK FRIEDLAND

SPEEDY HALFBACK

DUKE UNIVERSITY

N0#

BOB FUCHS

CAPTAIN AND CENTER

U. OF MISSOURI

N0#

ARNOLD GALIFFA

ALL-AMERICAN QUARTERBACK

ARMY

N0#

DICK GILMAN

BRAINY QUARTERBACK

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

N0#

FRANK GITSCHIER

CO-CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK

U. OF LOUISVILLE

N0#

GENEGLICK

CLEVER QUARTERBACK

MICH. STATE COLLEGE

N0#

BILLGREGUS

GALLOPING HALFBACK

WAKE FOREST

N0#

HAROLD "BO" HAGAN

FLEET QUARTERBACK

U. OF SOUTH CAROLINA

N0#

CHARLES HALL

CRACK FULLBACK

UNIV. OF ARIZONA

N0#

LEON HART

CO-CAPTAIN AND ALL-AMERICAN END

NOTRE DAME

N0#

BOB HESTER

CRASHING FULLBACK

MARQUETTE U.

N0#

GEORGE HUGHES

CO-CAPTAIN AND GUARD

WILLIAM AND MARY

N0#

LEVI JACKSON

CAPTAIN AND HALFBACK

YALE

N0#

JACKIE JENSEN

ALL-AMERICAN HALFBACK

U. OF CALIFORNIA

N0#

CHARLIE JUSTICE

ALL-AMERICAN HALFBACK

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

BLUE | GR. | RED YEL | BR. |

^^^^^^^^^^^|

i^j i^^W

i^^i^^H

^^■^3

^^^^^^^^^^^i

^li^^J

i^J

^^^^^i ^^^^^i

^^■^H

^li^^J

d^B

H^^ff

3™

236

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

VARSITY FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

POSITION

SCHOOL

N0#

GARY KERKORIAN

SPEEDY QUARTERBACK

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

N0#

BERNIEKRUEGER

BRILLIANT QUARTERBACK

ILLINOIS

N0#

BILLKUHN

JARRING TACKLE

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

N0#

DEAN LAUN

ALL BIG 7 END

IOWA STATE

N0#

CHET LEACH

PUNTING HALFBACK

BUCKNELL

N0#

BOBBY LEE

SHIFTY QUARTERBACK

U. OF PITTSBURGH

N0#

ROGERS LEHEW

CAPTAIN AND GUARD

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

N0#

GLENN LIPPMAN

FLEET HALFBACK

TEXAS A&M

N0#

MELVIN LYLE

CAPTAIN AND END

LOUISIANA STATE U.

N0#

LEN MAKOWSKI

TRIPLE-THREAT QTR'BACK

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

N0#

AL (BOOMY) MALEKOFF

DRIVING QUARTERBACK

RUTGERS U.

N0#

JIM MARTIN

ALL-AMERICAN END

NOTRE DAME

N0#

FRANK MATAYA

RAPID QUARTERBACK

WASH. STATE COLLEGE

N0#

RAY MATHEWS

STAR HALFBACK

CLEMSON COLLEGE

N0#

DICK McKISSACK

ACE FULLBACK

S. METHODIST U.

N0#

FRANK (MOOSE) MILLER

FLEET HALFBACK

CORNELL

N0#

JOHN MILLER

CO-CAPTAIN AND TACKLE

UNIV. OF DELAWARE

N0#

ED MODELEWSKI

TRIPLE THREAT FULLBACK

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

N0#

DON MOUSER

CAPTAIN AND GUARD

BAYLOR UNIV.

N0#

JAMES MURPHY

DEFT PASSER AND QUARTERBACK

HOLY CROSS

N0#

RAY NAGEL

SPEEDY LEFT HALFBACK

U.C.L.A.

N0#

LEONOMELLINI

ALL-AMERICAN TACKLE

U. OF MINNESOTA

N0#

JAMES F. O'DAY

RUGGED CENTER

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

N0#

JOE PATERNO

CO-CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK

BROWN UNIVERSITY

N0#

ANDY PAVICH

STAR FULLBACK

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

N0#

PETE PERINI

CRACK QUARTERBACK

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

N0#

JIM POWERS

TRIPLE THREAT QUARTERBACK

U. OF SOUTHERN CALIF.

N0#

DICK RAKESTRAW

HEFTY TACKLE

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

N0#

HERB RICH

ACE HALFBACK

VANDEBILT U.

N0#

FRANCIS ROGEL

STARR FULLBACK

PENN. STATE

N0#

DARRELL ROYAL

RAPID QUARTERBACK

U. OF OKLAHOMA

N0#

STEVE SAWLE

CAPTAIN AND TACKLE

NORTHWESTERN U.

N0#

NICKSEBEK

ACE QUARTERBACK

U. OF INDIANA

N0#

HERB SEIDELL

CAPTAIN AND CENTER

FORDHAM

N0#

CHARLES SHAW

CAPTAIN AND TACKLE

OKLAHOMA A&M

N0#

EMIL SITKO

ALL-AMERICAN HALFBACK

NOTRE DAME

N0#

EDSONGIN

HIGH SCORING QUARTERBACK

BOSTON COLLEGE

N0#

MARIANO STALLONI

CO-CAPTAIN AND FULLBACK

UNIV. OF DELAWARE

N0#

ERNIE STAUTNER

ALL-AMERICAN TACKLE

BOSTON COLLEGE

N0#

DON STEHLY

FAST-STEPPING QUARTERBACK

KANSAS STATE COLLEGE

N0#

GIL STEVENSON

ALL-AMERICAN FULLBACK

ARMY

N0#

BISHOP STRICKLAND

PLUNGING FULLBACK

U. OF S.CAROLINA

N0#

HARRY SZULBORSKI

ALL-AMERICAN HALFBACK

PURDUE

N0#

WALLYTENINGA

SWIFT QUARTERBACK

U. OF MICHIGAN

N0#

CLAYTON TONNEMAKER

U. OF MINNESOTA

N0#

DAN TOWLER

FLASHY HALFBACK

WASH. & JEFFERSON

N0#

BERTTUREK

BRAWNY CENTER

MARQUETTE U.

N0#

HARRY ULINSKI

CAPTAIN AND CENTER

UNIV. OF KENTUCKY

N0#

LEON VAN BILLINGHAM

CO-CAPTAIN AND FULLBACK

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

N0#

LAN DON VIRACOLA

STAR HALFBACK

FORDHAM

N0#

LEO WAGNER

CO-CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK

C.C.N.Y.

N0#

DOAK WALKER

ALL-AMERICAN QUARTERBACK

S. METHODIST U.

N0#

JAMES WARD

CO-CAPTAIN AND END

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

N0#

ARTWEINER

ALL-AMERICAN END

U. OF N.CAROLINA

N0#

DICK WEISS

LEADING FULLBACK

U. OF N.CAROLINA

N0#

"FROGGY" WILLIAMS

CO-CAPTAIN AND END

RICE INSTITUTE

N0#

BOB "RED" WILSON

CAPTAIN AND CENTER

U. OF WISCONSIN

N0#

ROGER "RED" WILSON

CHARGING TACKLE

U. OF S. CAROLINA

N0#

CARL WREN

PASS-SNARING END

UNIV. OF ROCHESTER

N0#

PETE ZINAICH

CAPTAIN AND FULLBACK

WEST VIRGINIA UNIV.

BLUE | GR. 1 RED

YEL. | BR. |

237

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

VARSITY FOOTBALL CHECKLIST

SCHOOL

NAME

ARMY

ARNOLD GALIFFA

ARMY

GIL STEVENSON

BAYLOR UNIV.

DON MOUSER

BOSTON COLLEGE

EDSONGIN

BOSTON COLLEGE

ERNIE STAUTNER

BROWN UNIVERSITY

JOE PATERNO

BUCKNELL

BOB BUCHER

BUCKNELL

CHET LEACH

C.C.N. Y.

LEO WAGNER

CLEMSON COLLEGE

RAY MATHEWS

COLGATE U.

WARREN "BRUD" DAVIS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

JAMES WARD

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

LEON VAN BILLINGHAM

CORNELL

DICK CLARK

CORNELL

FRANK (MOOSE) MILLER

CORNELL

JEFFFLEISCHMANN

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

HERB CAREY

DUKE UNIVERSITY

JACK FRIEDLAND

DUKE UNIVERSITY

LOU ALLEN

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

JAMES F. O'DAY

FORDHAM

HERB SEIDELL

FORDHAM

LANDON VIRACOLA

GEORGETOWN U.

BILLY CONN

GEORGIA TECH.

TOM COLEMAN

HOLY CROSS

JAMES MURPHY

ILLINOIS

BERNIE KRUEGER

IOWA STATE

BILL CHAUNCEY

IOWA STATE

DEAN LAUN

KANSAS STATE COLLEGE

DON STEHLY

LOUISIANA STATE U.

MELVIN LYLE

MARQUETTE U.

BERTTUREK

MARQUETTE U.

BOB HESTER

MICH. STATE COLLEGE

GENEGLICK

NORTH CAROLINA STATE

BOB BOWLBY

NORTHWESTERN U.

DON BURSON

NORTHWESTERN U.

STEVE SAWLE

NOTRE DAME

EMILSITKO

NOTRE DAME

JIM MARTIN

NOTRE DAME

LEON HART

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

PETE PERINI

OHIO UNIVERSITY

GLEN DAVIS

OKLAHOMA A&M

CHARLES SHAW

PENN. STATE

FRANCIS ROGEL

PITTSBURGH

BIMBO CECCONI

PITTSBURGH

MIKE BOLDIN

PURDUE

HARRY SZULBORSKI

RICE INSTITUTE

"FROGGY" WILLIAMS

RUTGERS

AL BURNETT

RUTGERS U.

AL (BOOMY) MALEKOFF

S. METHODIST U.

DICK McKISSACK

LOUCREEKMUR

200

LEON HART (YELLOW)

250

LEON HART (BROWN)

150

JACKIE JENSEN (YELLOW)

100

JACKIE JENSEN (BROWN)

LEO NOMELLINI

175

JOE PATERNO

1000

DARRELL ROYAL (YELLOW)

300

DARRELL ROYAL (BROWN)

200

ERNIE STAUTNER

200

DAN TOWLER (YELLOW)

150

DAN TOWLER (BROWN)

100

SCHOOL

NAME

S. METHODIST U.

DOAK WALKER

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

GARY KERKORIAN

TEXAS A&M

GLENN LIPPMAN

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

LINDY BERRY

TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.

MORRIS BAILEY

U. OF CALIFORNIA

JACKIE JENSEN

U. OF INDIANA

NICKSEBEK

U. OF LOUISVILLE

FRANK GITSCHIER

U. OF MICHIGAN

WALLYTENINGA

U. OF MINNESOTA

CLAYTON TONNEMAKER

U. OF MINNESOTA

LEO NOMELLINI

U. OF MISSOURI

BOB FUCHS

U. OF N. CAROLINA

ARTWEINER

U. OF N. CAROLINA

DICK WEISS

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

BILLKUHN

U. OF NORTH CAROLINA

CHARLIE JUSTICE

U. OF OKLAHOMA

DARRELL ROYAL

U. OF PENNSYLVANIA

BOB DEUBER

U. OF PENNSYLVANIA

RAY DOONEY

U. OF PITTSBURGH

BOBBY LEE

U. OF S. CAROLINA

BISHOP STRICKLAND

U. OF S. CAROLINA

ROGER "RED" WILSON

U. OF SOUTH CAROLINA

HAROLD "BO" HAGAN

U. OF SOUTHERN CALIF.

JIM POWERS

U. OF TEXAS

PAUL CAMPBELL

U. OF WISCONSIN

BOB "RED" WILSON

U.C.L.A.

RAY NAGEL

UNIV. OF ARIZONA

CHARLES HALL

UNIV. OF DELAWARE

JOHN MILLER

UNIV. OF DELAWARE

MARIANO STALLONI

UNIV. OF FLORIDA

JOHN COX

UNIV. OF KENTUCKY

HARRY ULINSKI

UNIV. OF OREGON

GEORGE BELL

UNIV. OF ROCHESTER

CARL WREN

UNIV. OF UTAH

TOM DUBLINSKI

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

ANDY PAVICH

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

DICK GILMAN

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

ED MODELEWSKI

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

DICK RAKESTRAW

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

LEN MAKOWSKI

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

ROGERS LEHEW

VANDEBILTU.

HERB RICH

WAKE FOREST

BILLGREGUS

WASH. & JEFFERSON

DAN TOWLER

WASH. AND JEFF. COL.

BERNIE BOTULA

WASH. STATE COLLEGE

FRANK MATAYA

WEST VIRGINIA UNIV.

PETE ZINAICH

WILLIAM AND MARY

GEORGE HUGHES

WILLIAM AND MARY

LOU CREEKMUR

YALE

LEVI JACKSON

DOAK WALKER

150

DOAK WALKER

100

COMMON

SEMI STAR

BROWN MULTIPLIER

YELLOW MULTIPLIER

SET (100)

6000

ONE CENT WRAPPER

250

ONE CENT PACK

350

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

400

GREETING CARD W/ PACK

400

238

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WHO-Z-AT STAR?

Issued As: Who-Z-At Star
Issue Date: 1953
Packaging: 1 cent, 5 cent
Base Set Size: 80

Number of Series: 1

ACC #: R710-4
Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 100/200

1952 saw Bowman release a 36 card set entitled Television & Radio Stars of N.B.C. and Topps countered
the next year with Who-Z-At Star?. Focusing on the movies while Bowman worked off a licensing deal with
the National Broadcasting Company, Who-Z-At Star? competed against a greatly expanded 96 card
offering of NBC's finest in 1953, pitting two classic sets against each other in the marketplace. The
wrappers for Who-Z-At Star? advertise actors and actresses from United Artists, Republic, Allied Artists,
MGM, CBS and ABC; clearly a much wider field of subjects than Bowman's limited array. The Topps
wrappers also pointedly mention Television, Radio and Movie subjects would be found within.

Bowman, desperate for strong sales, even came up with an early version of what is now termed a grocery
pack, with three overwrapped 12 card cello packs that included a slab of gum in each, retailing for a
whopping 29 cents. This packaging, attributed to their Card Collectors Club, may have given Topps the
final push it needed to establish the Trading Card Guild and it can't be ruled out that Topps issued Who-Z-
At-Star? in ten cent Guild packs, although none have been specifically identified to date. 1953 Baseball
appeared in Guild packaging though, so it's possible that Who-Z-At Star? would have as well.

The Topps cards had a distinct flexichromed look to them, with full bleed gray borders and a small
nameplate that also features the star's studio, affiliation or current starring role. Bowman's cards looked
far more natural and resembled their landmark 1953 baseball set. The Topps backs are predominantly
dark blue, which also is full bleed and feature an ornately framed black and white photograph of the
subject of the previous number in the series on the right third, usually as a child or young adult, with a
short quiz underneath. The remainder of the back is filled with some vital statistics, a block of text and
the card number, which is displayed in a yellow star. This combination of full bleed fronts and backs made
this an extremely difficult set to find in high grade.

239

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

One motion picture featured in the set, Spencer Tracy's "Father and the Actress" was renamed simply
"The Actress" prior to release in September of 1953 and the movies in the set have release dates ranging
from January 1953 until May 1956, the latter representing a Gene Kelly anthology called "Invitation to the
Dance" that was originally slated for a 1952 release (probably around Christmas) but shelved by M-G-M
due to concerns over its commercial potential. It would seem the set was released in the late winter or
early spring of 1953. The vast majority of the cards feature stars from M-G-M Studios with a fair showing
by Republic Pictures, as this chart shows:

Studio

Cards

M-G-M

Republic Pictures

United Artists

Allied Artists

CBS

ABC

The uncut sheet array should yield at least 20 overprints, although it's possible fully half the set was
overprinted. While high grade examples are tough, individual cards in lower grades are not. A trio of high
demand stars make collecting a little more challenging: Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor
are joined by a host of other big names in what is a popular set today. Printing and cutting irregularities
are found with some frequency. Some of the original artwork for the set is known to exist in the hobby.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
American Card Catalog, The Wrapper #226 - "Who-Z-At-Star" by Scott Thomas, Author's Research)

WHO-Z-AT STAR? CHECKLIST

NUMBER

NAME

AFFILIATION

BRIAN DONLEVY

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

REX ALLEN

IN REPUBLIC WESTERNS

FORREST TUCKER

IN "SAN ANTONE"

ALLEN "ROCKY" LAYNE

IN REPUBLIC WESTERNS

JOAN LESLIE

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

ROY BARCROFT

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

ELLA RAINES

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

ROD CAMERON

A UNITED ARTISTS STAR

FRED MacMURRAY

IN "FAIR WIND TO JAVA"

VERA RALSTON

IN "FAIR WIND TO JAVA"

DENNIS O'KEEFE

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

RUTH HUSSEY

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

EVE ARDEN

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

WILLIAM DEMAREST

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

SCOTT BRADY

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

BUDDY BAER

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

JOHN LUND

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

KATY JURADO

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

AUDREY TOTTER

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

ELAINE STEWART

AN M-G-M STAR

JANE POWELL

AN M-G-M STAR

VERA-ELLEN

AN M-G-M STAR

LIONEL BARRYMORE

AN M-G-M STAR

BETTA ST. JOHN

AN M-G-M STAR

MARJORIE MAIN

AN M-G-M STAR

HARRY CAREY, JR.

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

DEBORAH KERR

AN M-G-M STAR

POLLY BERGEN

AN M-G-M STAR

PIER ANGELI

AN M-G-M STAR

WILLIAM POWELL

AN M-G-M STAR

WILLIAM CAMPBELL

AN M-G-M STAR

JAMES CRAIG

AN M-G-M STAR

GIG YOUNG

AN M-G-M STAR

RICARDO MONTALBAN

AN M-G-M STAR

HOWARD KEEL

AN M-G-M STAR

ELEANOR PARKER

AN M-G-M STAR

GENE KELLY

"INVITATION TO THE DANCE"

KEENAN WYNN

AN M-G-M STAR

CLARK GABLE

IN M-G-M'S "MOGAMBO"

CARA WILLIAMS

AN M-G-M STAR

NUMBER

NAME

AFFILIATION

MARGE & GOWER CHAMPION

M-G-M STARS

VAN JOHNSON

IN M-G-M'S "EASY TO LOVE"

JUNE ALLYSON

AN M-G-M STAR

JANET LEIGH

AN M-G-M STAR

AVA GARDNER

AN M-G-M STAR

REDSKELTON

"THE GREAT DIAMOND ROBBERY"

BOB TAYLOR

AN M-G-M STAR

CARLETON CARPENTER

AN M-G-M STAR

ESTHER WILLIAMS

AN M-G-M STAR

WALTER PIDGEON

AN M-G-M STAR

STEWART GRANGER

AN M-G-M STAR

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

AN M-G-M STAR

CYD CHARISSE

AN M-G-M STAR

LANA TURNER

IN M-G-M'S "LATIN LOVERS"

GREER GARSON

AN M-G-M STAR

VIC DAMONE

AN M-G-M STAR

ANN MILLER

AN M-G-M STAR

ROBERT HORTON

AN M-G-M STAR

VITTORIO GASSMAN

AN M-G-M STAR

RITA GAM

AN M-G-M STAR

STEVE FORREST

AN M-G-M STAR

LESLIE CARON

AN M-G-M STAR

ANN BLYTH

AN M-G-M STAR

SPENCER TRACY

"FATHER AND THE ACTRESS"

RED BUTTONS

A CBS STAR

JOHNNY SHEFFIELD

IN ALLIED ARTISTS' "BOMBA" SERIES

WAYNE MORRIS

ALLIED ARTISTS

LEO GORCEY

IN THE "BOWERY BOYS" SERIES

THE NELSONS

ABC STARS

ARLEEN WHELAN

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

RICHARD ANDERSON

AN M-G-M STAR

BARRY SULLIVAN

AN M-G-M STAR

MONA FREEMAN

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

PRESTON FOSTER

IN UNITED ARTISTS' "1 THE JURY"

ROBERT STACK

IN UNITED ARTISTS' "SABRE JET"

SLIM PICKENS

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

DEBBIE REYNOLDS

AN M-G-M STAR

NANETTE FABRAY

AN M-G-M STAR

ERROL FLYNN

IN UA'S "CROSSED SWORDS"

J. CARROLL NAISH

COURTESY REPUBLIC PICTURES

BRIAN DONLEVY

GENE KELLY

CLARK GABLE

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

SPENCER TRACY

J. CARROLL NAISH

COMMON

SEMI STAR

SET

1000

ONE CENT WRAPPER

150

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

150

ONE CENT PACK

200

FIVE CENT PACK

350

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

240

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WINGS

Issued As: Wings ACC #: R707-4

Issue Date: 1952 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 1 cent clear cellophane 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane, 1 cent Red Ball Jets

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 200

Number of Series: 3

Sheet Size: 100/200

GloSfER GA-J

INGUSH JO

FIGHTER

This ji the vary beii jet thai the Brit,
ish havel It it so new, thai almost all
detail! on its performance are still
secret . . . and (he only real fed*
available are thai il is heavily armed,
carries radar, and can ga for a lone
distance without refuelingl Its very
high speed will make this delta-wing
fighter plane one of the most danger-
ous in the worldl

FRIEND or FOE

Answer: See CorrJ J 42

IENGTH

BANGF

~f WINGS -f

COURTESY
HERALD TRIBUNE, IN

Wings was the second Giant Size set issued by Topps, right in the midst of the 1952 Baseball cards retail
blitz. Hugely popular, the set's 200 cards feature a sweeping array of aircraft, mostly planes, displayed in
colorful, if slightly muted tones. The fronts feature the aircraft's name in a large font together with some
military affiliation information in a black text box below. Reverses feature a large card number, a block of
text, some statistics about the craft presented in a fashion similar to the stats on the 1952 baseball cards
and a feature called "Friend or Foe", which displayed silhouettes of planes and played on the fact the
nation was still at war. The backs also have the usual T.C.G. copyright, a 1952 date and a "Courtesy
Herald Tribune, Inc." credit line, presumably for the text.

Dating of the set has been the subject of much debate in the hobby over the years but the boxes bear a
1952 copyright. However, a period photo exists showing a single box of Wings cards bearing a sticker
stating "New Series" being sold alongside 3 rd series packs of 1953 Topps baseball cards, which dates
around the spring of '53; indeed the 1953 American Card Catalog, published in February of that year, lists
the set at 200 cards. It seems clear then that all 200 cards of Wings came out in 1952. The last 100 cards
were seemingly sold in groups of 50, with some first series cards seeded into the nickel and dime packs.

Topps though, was playing games at this time with some of their multi-series sets and skip numbered a
couple of cards in series two. These gaps would, in theory, keep the kids buying the cards looking for
numbers in series 2 that did not yet exist. This "skip number" marketing was first identified in an article
by Pete D'Luhosch at his PJD Enterprises site which details how the quiz on the first series backs always
refer to the next card numerically in the set.

Furthermore, the article describes how first 100 cards have the quiz sequentially referring to the next card
in all 100 instances (#100 refers to #1), with the cards from #101-150 have answers scattered over the
fifty possible numbers in series two, with the exception of two cards: #118 refers to an answer on #180,
while #149 lists #173 as having the answer. In addition, the author has observed that #128 refers to #151

241

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

for its quiz answer. Then, within the run from #151-200: #151 lists #110 as its answer while #152 refers to
an answer on #125. No corresponding third card in series three referring back to an answer in series two
exists so one of the duplicate answers must have taken its place.

D'Luhosch later writes in an article in The Wrapper, that examination of partial uncut sheets shows the 3 rd
series runs from #101-152, with nos. 118 and 149 held out and replaced by nos. 151 and 152. The 4 th
series then runs from #153-200 with nos. 118 and 149 added. Furthermore, the switching of #149 and #151
is confirmed by these partial sheets and it is assumed the switching of #118 and #152 matches up as well
as they do not show on the partials.

Some repetition of numbers for the answers also starts popping up in these last two series and the
thinking is this all demonstrates how the cards from series two were held back and replaced with series
three cards and vice-versa. In addition, this illustrates that two higher series of 50 cards each were
printed and distributed. Unopened pack finds have shown too that first series cards were seeded into
packs as Topps sold off older cards along with the newer ones.

Things don't get any simpler when the packaging is examined. In addition to the standard one and five
cent gum packs, there are one and two card cello packs plus dime cello packs that held 12 cards. The
Non-Sports Bible also states that packs were inserted with Bon Ton Wieners in 1956 but which packs this
refers to is unclear. The cards were also reprinted for a Doeskin Tissues promotion but these have wider
side borders and Doeskin copyright information on the backs and are not considered part of the original
set. A couple of the subjects were repurposed later in Jets and the 1955 Hocus Focus Airplanes subset.

If all of that wasn't enough, Wings was also fully printed with backs in Spanish, presumably for distribution
in Mexico and parts of South America. Argentina seems a likely destination for shipments of Wings as
there are planes from that country in the set, the only South American country so depicted. These were
once hard to find but some quantities have popped up in recent years. The last 100 cards in the Spanish
series can also be found without printed fronts; an oddity as there are far too many of these around to
merely be proofs. The method of distribution of the Spanish cards is certainly conjectural as well. While
these cards may seem odd to the casual observer, the Shorin family was quite comfortable doing business
in locations south of the U.S. from their days in the tobacco trade. It would seem though that sales of
Spanish Wings were poor as Topps did not issue another set in the language until the late 1950's.

Still not done with Wings, a portion of the set was reissued in 1955 as in-store premiums in wrappers that
state "Red Ball Jets". The manufacturer on these is "Makers of World Famous 'Bazooka' Gum" and a
premium offer on the wrapper promised an additional 15 cards could be had for a mere dime.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
American Card Catalog, http://pjdenterprises.com/airplane cards/topps wings print.html . The Wrapper
#262 "1952 Topps Wings: Follow-up information" by Peter D'Luhosch, Author's Research)

Esle niodelo ha de|odo de lunrse poi la
FLeria Aired de. lot E.U., y eslp
ii«ido aetualmenle. usado a ernlena-
rei por la Fuctio ASrsa Ruso. Durame
lo It Guerra Mondial lurl-.o en tadrn
lot f.enlci, y se hiio nolar poi iU la-
pidez y polendn de fueg-a, VuhIc
noelurno, le-rpedeo, abis nation., ion
algunos de tut mas de Irelnla trabajot
del Havoc.

^WINGS^-

Whigs with Spanish Back (Author's Collection)

242

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WINGS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

AIRCRAFT

DESCRIPTION

T-33

U.S. AIR FORCE JET TRAINER

MIG-15

RUSSIAN JET FIGHTER

XC-120 PACK PLANE

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

LINCOLN

BRITISH BOMBER

F-51 MUSTANG

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER

AT-7 NAVIGATOR

U.S. AIR FORCE LIGHT TRANSPORT

PBY CATALINA

U.S. NAVY PATROL BOMBER

B-26 INVADER

U.S. AIR FORCE LIGHT BOMBER

XF-91

U.S. AIR FORCE JET FIGHTER

F7U CUTLASS

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

VAMPIRE

BRITISH JET FIGHTER

B-57 CANBERRA

BRITISH JET BOMBER

SUNDERLAND

BRITISH PATROL FLYING BOAT

PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER

U.S. NAVY PATROL BOMBER

T-28

U.S. AIR FORCE ADVANCED TRAINER

WYVERNEMK. 2

BRITISH TURBO-PROP FIGHTER

BALLIOLT. MK. 2

BRITISH ADVANCED TRAINER

F-47 THUNDERBOLT

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER

HUP-1

U.S. NAVY HELICOPTER

HERMES

BRITISH CIVIL TRANSPORT

L-17 NAVION

U.S. AIR FORCE LIAISON CIVIL PRIVATE PLANE

F3D SKYKNIGHT

U.S. NAVY JET ALL WEATHER FIGHTER

AM MAULER

U.S. NAVY ATTACK PLANE

B-36

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC BOMBER

F8F BEARCAT

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

F-80 SHOOTING STAR

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER-BOMBER

SEA ATTACKER

BRITISH NAVY JET FIGHTER

F6F HELLCAT

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

P2V NEPTUNE

U.S. NAVY PATROL BOMBER

AVRO JETLINER

CANADIAN CIVIL JET TRANSPORT

C-121 CONSTELLATION

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

C-74 GLOBEMASTER 1

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC TRANPSORT

F-84F

U.S. AIR FORCE JET FIGHTER-BOMBER

F4U CORSAIR

U.S. NAVY AND MARINE CORPS FIGHTER

FIREFLY

BRITISH NAVY FIGHTER

C-125 RAIDER

U.S. AIR FORCE ASSAULT TRANSPORT

C-46 COMMANDO

U.S. NAVY -R5C

PE-2

RUSSIAN ATTACK BOMBER

AF GUARDIAN

U.S. NAVY ATTACK PLANE

C-82 PACKET

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

R60 CONSTITUTION

U.S. NAVY STRATEGIC TRANSPORT

IL-12

RUSSIAN TRANSPORT

HASTINGS

BRITISH MILITARY TRANSPORT

AJ SAVAGE

U.S. NAVY COMPOSITE POWERED ATTACK BOMBER

F-82 TWIN-MUSTANG

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER

XF4D SKYRAY

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

T-6 TEXAN

U.S. AIR FORCE TRAINER

C-123 AVITRUK

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

JRM MARS

U.S. NAVY TRANSPORT

METEOR

BRITISH JET FIGHTER

B-29 SUPERFORTRESS

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC BOMBER

IL-10

RUSSIAN ASSAULT BOMBER

B-45 TORNADO

U.S. NAVY AIR FORCE JET BOMBER

LA-5

RUSSIAN FIGHTER

COMET

BRITISH JET TRANSPORT

H-13D

U.S.A.F. & ARMY HELICOPTER

243

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WINGS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

AIRCRAFT

DESCRIPTION

PE-8

RUSSIAN HEAVY BOMBER

C-97 STRATOFREIGHTER

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC TRANSPORT

H-21

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT HELICOPTER

FH-1 PHANTOM

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

B-47 STRATOJET

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC JET BOMBER

L-20 BEAVER

U.S. AIR FORCE UTILITY-LIAISON

FJ FURY

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

F-94

U.S. AIR FORCE JET INTERCEPTOR FIGHTER

SHACKLETON

BRITISH PATROL BOMBER

S-51 HELICOPTER

U.S. AIR FORCE

A-20 HAVOC

U.S. AIR FORCE-LIGHT BOMBER

IL-2 STORMOVIK

RUSSIAN ASSAULT BOMBER

C-119 PACKET

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

DC-4 SKYMASTER

C-54-U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

F-86 SABER

U.S. AIR FORCE JET FIGHTER

VENOM

BRITISH JET FIGHTER

H-19

U.S. AIR FORCE HELICOPTER

TBM AVENGER

U.S. NAVY TORPEDO BOMBER

CF-100 CANUCK

CANADIAN JET INTERCEPTOR

F-84THUNDERJET

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER-BOMBER

F-86D

U.S. AIR FORCE JET INTERCEPTOR

SEA HAWK

BRITISH NAVY JET FIGHTER

SA-16 ALBATROSS

U.S. NAVY UTILITY AMPHIBIAN

202

CIVIL AIRLINE TRANSPORT

B-50 SUPERBOMBER

U.S. AIR FORCE STRATEGIC BOMBER

CONVAIR 240

U.S. AIR FORCE NAVIGATION TRAINER

AMBASSADOR

BRITISH CIVIL TRANSPORT

IL-4

RUSSIAN MEDIUM BOMBER

VISCOUNT

BRITISH TURBO-PROP TRANSPORT

B-25 MITCHELL

U.S. AIR FORCE MULTI-ENGINE TRAINER

YAK-3

RUSSIAN FIGHTER

C-47 SKYTRAIN

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

A2D SKYSHARK

U.S. NAVY ATTACK PLANE

F-89 SCORPION

U.S. AIR FORCE JET INTERCEPTOR

IL-18

RUSSIAN TRANSPORT

P5M MARLIN

U.S. NAVY PATROL BOMBER

H-12

U.S. AIR FORCE HELICOPTER

F7F TIGERCAT

U.S. NAVY & MARINE CORPS FIGHTER

F2H BANSHEE

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

P4M MERCATOR

U.S. NAVY COMPOSITE-POWERED PATROL PLANE

C124 GLOBEMASTER II

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

TU-4

RUSSIAN STRATEGIC BOMBER

YAK-15

RUSSIAN JET FIGHTER

100

F9F PANTHER

U.S. NAVY JET FIGHTER

101

AE-27 PULQUI

ARGENTINE FIGHTER

102

AE-33 PULQUI

ARGENTINE JET PLANE

103

O-10 LEDUC

FRENCH MONOPLANE

104

MD-450 OURAGAN

FRENCH FIGHTER

105

SO-6021 ESPADAN

FRENCH JET PLANE

106

SO-M2

FRENCH JET

107

SO-6000 TRITON

FRENCH JET TRAINER

108

VG-90

FRENCH JET FIGHTER

109

NORD 1601

FRENCH RESEARCH PLANE

110

NORD 2200

FRENCH JET PLANE

111

707A DELTA WING

ENGLISH JET PLANE

112

AVRO ASTON

ENGLISH JET PLANE

244

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WINGS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

AIRCRAFT

DESCRIPTION

113

SUPERMARINE 535

ENGLISH JET PLANE

114

VICKERS 660

ENGLISH BOMBER

115

HAWKER P-1081

ENGLISH JET PLANE

116

SHORT SB-3

R.A.F. ANTI-SUBMARINE PLANE

117

HANDLEYPAGE88

ENGLISH JET PLANE

118

TARGET PLANE

AUSTRALIAN JET

119

FOKKERS14

NETHERLANDS JET TRAINER

120

MIG-19

RUSSIAN JET FIGHTER

121

SAAB 29A

SWEDISH JET FIGHTER

122

F9F6 COUGAR

U.S. NAVY FIGHTER

123

YB60 HEAVY BOMBER

U.S. AIR FORCE BOMBER

124

XF 88A VOODOO

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER

125

F-84-GTHUNDERJET

U.S. AIR FORCE BOMBER

126

XC-99 CARGO TRANSPORT

U.S. AIR FORCE TRANSPORT

127

XC-123A AVITRUC

U.S. AIR FORCE JET

128

X-4 NORTHROP

U.S. AIR FORCE RESEARCH JET

129

PO-1W LOCKHEED

U.S. NAVY PLANE

130

S.E. 2415 GRONARDII

FRENCH TWIN-JET

131

SWIFT SUBMARINE 541

ENGLISH JET FIGHTER

132

GLOSTER GA5

ENGLISH JET FIGHTER

133

SRA-1

BRITISH JET FLYING BOAT

134

SHORT SA 4

ENGLISH JET BOMBER

135

UKNOWN

RUSSIAN JET PLANE

136

XA2J1 SAVAGE

U.S. NAVY

137

FJ2 NORTH AMERICAN

U.S. NAVY JET BOMBER

138

AD-5 SKYRAIDER

U.S. NAVY PLANE

139

PBM-5 MARINER

U.S. NAVY AMPHIBIAN

140

XP5Y-1 VULTEE

U.S. AIR FORCE

141

TO-2 LOCKHEED

U.S. AIR FORCE

142

FX-92A VULTEE

U.S. AIR FORCE JET PLANE

143

XF 3H-1 DEMON

U.S. AIR FORCE PLANE

144

DC6A DOUGLAS

U.S. AIR FORCE

145

YRB-19A FLYING WING

U.S. AIR FORCE JET

146

TARGET AIRCRAFT

AUSTRALIAN JET

147

D.H. SEA HORNET

ENGLISH AIR FORCE

148

DH 112 VENOM

ENGLISH BOMBER

149

XH-26

U.S. ARMY HELICOPTER

150

G-80

ITALIAN AIR FORCE

151

YB1 BLACKBURN

ENGLISH MONOPLANE

152

XF90 LOCKHEED

U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER

153

BRISTOL 171 MK-3

BRITISH FREIGHTER

154

SARO-CIERVA AIRHORSE

BRITISH HELICOPTER

155

SIKORSKY H.C. MK-2

BRITISH HELICOPTER

156

S.O. 1120 ARIEL III

FRENCH HELICOPTER

157

BREGUET TYPE III

FRENCH HELICOPTER

158

LZ1A

U.S. AIR FORCE HELICOPTER

159

G.C.A. MODEL 2

U.S. HELICOPTER

160

HILLER 360

U.S. HELICOPTER

161

MC-4

AMERICAN HELICOPTER

162

M-14

AMERICAN HELICOPTER

163

YH-18

U.S. AIR FORCE HELICOPTER

164

HO 4S-1

U.S. NAVY HELICOPTER

165

BOULTON PAUL P-lll

ENGLISH JET PLANE

166

AVRO ATHENA T. MK-2

BRITISH TRAINING SHIP

167

T. MK-20

BRITISH TRAINING PLANE

168

BLACKBURN FIREBRAND

BRITISH NAVY FIGHTER

245

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WINGS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

AIRCRAFT

DESCRIPTION

169

BRISTOL 170 MK-31

BRITISH HELICOPTER

170

D.H. 104 DOVE LIGHT TRANSPORT

BRITISH TRANSPORT PLANE

171

METEOR N.F. MK-11

BRITISH JET FIGHTER

172

HANDLEY PAGE MARATHON

BRITISH TRANSPORT

173

SEA FURY MK-11

BRITISH NAVY FIGHTER

174

PERCIVAL P. 50 PRINCE TRANSPORT

BRITISH TRANSPORT PLANE

175

SHORT SEALAND

BRITISH AMPHIBIAN

176

SEA GULL

BRITISH NAVY AMPHIBIAN

177

VARSITY AIRCREW

BRITISH TRAINING PLANE

178

CANADAIR FOUR

CANADIAN TRANSPORT PLANE

179

DHC-1 CHIPMUNK

CANADIAN TRAINER

180

AERO 45

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN MONOPLANE

181

HILLER HORNET

U.S. HELICOPTER

182

CM. 88-R GEMEAUX

FRENCH RESEARCH JET

183

BREGUET 76-1

FRENCH TRANSPORT PLANE

184

C.A.S.A. 201 ALCOTAN

SPANISH MONOPLANE

185

DOUGLAS SKYROCKET

U.S. RESEARCH JET

186

FOUGA CM. 8-R.13

FRENCH JET

187

MORANE-SAULINIER M.S. 703

FRENCH MONOPLANE

188

S.O. 30-P BRETAGNE

FRENCH AIRLINER

189

SAAB-90A-2SCANDIA

SWEDISH AIRLINER

190

BEECHCRAFT D18S

U.S. LIGHT TRANSPORT

191

"VAUTOUR"

FRENCH JET

192

C-l SKIMMER

U.S. AMPHIBIAN

193

SAAB-210 DRAKEN

SWEDISH RESEARCH JET

194

CF-100 "CANUCK"

CANADIAN FIGHTER

195

MOONEY M-18L MITE

U.S. LIGHT MONOPLANE

196

TE-1 BUCKAROO

U.S. TRAINER

197

SAUNDERS-ROE

BRITISH FLYING BOAT

198

KAMAN HTK-1

U.S. HELICOPTER

199

T.H.K. 2

TURKISH AIR FORCE

200

FAIREY"GYRODENE"

BRITISH HELICOPTER

PRICING

T-33

NM VALUE 400 |

100

F9F PANTHER

200

FAIREY"GYRODENE"

NM VALUE 400 |

COMMON

SET

400

ONE CENT WRAPPER (GLASSINE)

125

FIVE CENT WRAPPER

125

ONE CENT PACK (GLASSINE)

150

ONE CENT PACK (1 CARD CELLO)

ONE CENT PACK (2 CARD CELLO)

FIVE CENT PACK

200

TEN CENT PACK

300

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

TEN CENT BOX (EMPTY)

250

246

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WORLD ON WHEELS

Issued As: Wheels ACC #: 714-24

Issue Date: 1953-54 Size: 2 5/8" x 3 3/4", 67.5 x 95.5 mm

Packaging: 1 cent, 1 cent clear cellophane 5 cent, 10 cent clear cellophane

Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.

Base Set Size: 180 Number of Series: 2 + 2 updates Sheet Size: 1 00/200?

ALFA ROMEO

ITALIAN SPORTS CA

Cylinder; 6

The Alfa Romeo "Flying Disc"
racing car went faster than 160
miles pet hour in its test run! The
car is extremely low, has inward
slanting doors, wire racing
wheels, and: a wind deflector
only in front of the driver's seat.
When it streaks around a course,
the Alfa-Romeo holds the road
as though glued to its surface!
esT.C.G. Ptd. m U.S.A.
Courtesy -"Cars" Magazine

World on Wheels is widely considered to be one of the best of all the classic Topps Giant Size Sets.
Issued over a two year span in 1953-54 it features a solid combination of new and old motor vehicles in a
horizontal format, all superbly illustrated and set against a white background with a prominent bar of
pastel color added that takes up anywhere from about two-thirds to all of the top portion of the obverse.
Also seen are a handful of cards have color bars that are somewhere between these two in length as well.
This bar contains the automaker and model depicted (or year on the antique models) although there is
some inconsistency throughout. A short descriptor describing the general style of the vehicle runs along
the bottom of the card while the maker's emblem appears in somewhat random fashion on the cards
featuring 1953 and 1954 models. This obverse color bar is full bleed on two or three borders, except for
the last ten cards in the set known as the "high high" numbers (#171-180), where some do not extend to
the side border while others do. All ten of these "high high" cards have partial front color blocks.

Reverses are predominantly red, except for the last ten cards (#171-180), which can also be found in blue.
The reason for the blue backs has never been revealed by Topps, and it seems possible they were
included either as an eye-catcher in the packs or as part of some third party promotion, perhaps at an
auto show. The card number is found inside a tire to the left while fifteen percent or so of the back shows
a full bleed block of color with the vehicle name within. While the last ten cards have color bars on the
reverse that do not fully extend to either side border, the earlier "update" series running from #161-170
does and exclusively features 1954 models. The six 1955 models included in the final update series of ten
cards each also show the model year. A short block of text is set to the left and an illustrated feature
takes up the right half of the back, although it is set at a slight angle.

The illustrated feature on the card backs gives rise to the commonly used set name as the first series of
80 cards has a quiz called "World On Wheels". After this there are various runs of features detailing road

247

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

signs and Safe Bicycling Tips plus other quizzes called "See the World on Wheels". The final ten cards
revert to "World on Wheels".

Having full bleed borders on both sides of the cards makes high grade examples quite hard to find today.
Some collectors also feel the fronts can be found in two different shades of white, with the "cleaner" of
the two commanding a slight premium. This may just represent natural toning of the cards but some do
look whiter today than others, sometimes quite noticeably, which usually indicates a better card stock
was used by Topps for at least one press run.

The first 80 cards appeared in packs for which the wrappers show a span of years from 1896-1954. What
exactly was in these packs is a still a matter of debate as none of the 1954 models appear in the first 80
cards while specific 1953 models start appearing and run from # 78 until well into the second series
starting at #81. It therefore seems likely that eighty cards on the 100 card half sheet comprised the first
run from #1-80, then another run from #81-160 was issued but there could have been elements of both
series in each printing.

The 1954 update cards were probably printed with the second series but the wrapper's vehicle dates
make this a suspect argument and the cards from #161-170 are in much shorter supply than either of the
first two series. These 10 cards command a premium of three times or so when compared to a low
numbered card so some type of short printing definitely occurred. Cello packs have been opened well
after the set was issued that hold a mix of both of the low number series plus the "high high" numbers but
the sample size is not large enough to confirm any theories regarding mixing and distribution of the
different series. There is also a variation involving card #7 which can be found with text identifying it as a
German motorcycle or an English one, the latter being correct. Some cards are missing either the model
or style descriptor; these were likely the result of human error.

What is not debatable is that the first eighty cards followed a distinct sequence based upon the color bars
on the front, with 8 card groupings alternating as follows: blue, yellow, pink, green, red, blue, yellow, pink,
green and red. The way the blocks are distributed shows color groupings would have been produced in
specific sections on the uncut sheets, with one row upside down compared to the next, just like the 1953
baseball cards.

Cards #81-160 also follow a color pattern but it is not as precise and there are runs of two, four, eight and
twelve cards within, although at least two cards in a row starting with the odd number in a sequence
always have matching colors. This series is slightly more difficult to find then the first and cards
sometimes sell for up to twice that of first series cards.

The last series was issued in packs showing the years covered as 1896-1955 and the last ten cards (#171-
180) contain the 1955 models, although four of these "high high" numbers do not show 55's. These are
tough cards and they command a premium of approximately 10 to 20 times or more when compared to the
low numbers. It has long been thought red backed cards from #171-180 were tougher than the blue backs
but the supply seems to confirm just the opposite even if prices do not. Either way, these are usually hotly
contested when auctioned. It is interesting to note the blue hues used on the variations matches the hues
on the reverse of the 1955 All American Football cards. The manner of the printing and distribution of the
last ten cards in blue is unknown.

The cards use three main fonts for the maker's information. Antique or older cars have an "old-timey" font,
while the sportier models have the maker's name in a stylish font that is now called, fittingly enough,
"Bazooka". The latest models in the set use an Art Deco font for the maker; vehicles outside the norm
generally use the Bazooka font. Card #49 shows the Long Island Automobile Museum included that is

248

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

actually a photo; it falls in a yellow grouping. This museum provided much of the information and pictures
for the antique auto's in the set. Another major supplier of information for Topps was Cars Magazine.

It's difficult to classify all the different groupings of vehicles as some overlap exists. The main groupings
are as follows, with Antique Auto comprising roughly one-third of the set: Military, Fire Trucks, Trucks,
Sports Cars, Futuristic Designs, Racers, Antique Autos, Motorcycles and Scooters, Tricycles, Buses and
Coaches, a Municipal Vehicle, The Long Island Auto Museum, 1953 models, 1954 models and 1955 models.

(Sources: The Sport Americana Price Guide to the Non Sports Cards 1930-1960, Non Sports Bible,
http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/wow/go.html , Author's Research)

Typical World on Wheels Antique Car (Author's Collection)

CHEVROLET 1954

CORVETTE

SPORTS CAR

Horsepower:

Cylinder;;

Weight:

Length:
The Chevrolet Corver+e
car tn the American tradition It
is not actually built for racing, as
are European sports cars. Rother
than that, the Corvette is a com-
bination of beauty, comfort, and
convenience. The plastic body-
work makes, this Car quite light
for its size. It can reach a speed
of 100 mph.
IG.Ptcl in LIS A

Typical World on Wheels New Model and "Update" Series (Author's Collection)

CUSTOM MADE

Chrysler It build-
ing a limited supply of these
handsome two-door cars thai i*.
fleet ihe European influence on
American auto*. Powered by
the Fire Flite engine- that estab-
lished new records in French and
American road races, the 300
ha* a fail got&wey and plenty
of pep. Heavy-duty shock ab-
sorbers assure a rid* "at smooth

' c' Horiepower MO
^^2Jr ty]JrnJ*n 3

Wheil low 116"
Chrysler U build-
ing a limited supply of 'hose
handsome two-door tor
Fled ihe European infli
American cunos. Powered by
th& Fire Fl*f« engine that estab-
lished new records in French, and
I, the 300
hot o tost getaway and plenty
of pep. Heavy-duty shock ab-
sarberi allure a ride '
as «lk." I

Typical World on Wheels "High High" Series with both color backs shown (Author's Collection)

249

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WORLD ON WHEELS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

MAKER

DESCRIPTION

STYLE

DIAMOND T

CONCRETE MIXER

HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK

CUMMINS DIESEL

AMERICAN RACER

SUPERCHARGED OIL BURNER

CONNAUGHT

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

FAST MOVING COMPETITOR

BUICK

1910

TOYTONNEAU

MERCER

1911

RACEABOUT

EXCALIBURJ

SPORTS CAR

AMERICAN MAKE

NORTON

SEE RIGHT

ONE CYLINDER

LUMBER TRUCK

STRADDLE TYPE

SPECIALIZED VEHICLE

BUICK

1911

RUNABOUT

LANCIA

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

JET STYLING

MASERATI

ITALIAN RACING CAR

INDIANAPOLIS CONTESTANT

MACK

DIESEL TRACTOR

HEAVY DUTY TRUCK

MAXWELL

1911

GATSO

DUTCH SPORTS CAR

THE "CYCLOPS"

OSCA MASERATI

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

FAMOUS NAME IN CARS

PIERCE ARROW

1911

STATION WAGON

WHITE

1910

OPERA COUPE

CEMO TURBO

FRENCH EXPERIMENTAL CAR

PEGASO

SPANISH SPORTS CAR

EIGHT CYLINDERS

PIERCE

1903

MOTORETTE

BRUSH

1911

PANEL DELIVERY

LAGO TALBOT

FRENCH SPORTS CAR

DURABLE 24-HOUR CHAMPION

LAKESTER

AMERICAN HOT ROD

CLASS C CONTEST WINNER

PIERCE GREAT ARROW

1905

TOURING CAR

AIRPORT FIRE TRUCK

FIRE ENGINE

VERSATILE FIRE ENGINE

COOPER-BRISTOL

RACING CAR

BRITISH COMPETITOR

MERCEDES-BENZ

GERMAN "SPORTS CAR" - 300 SL

RECORD BREAKER

FORD

1903

RUNABOUT

SIMPLEX

1910

SPEED CAR

ALFA ROMEO

ITALIAN RACING CAR

RECORD BREAKER

HOSE TRUCK

COMBINATION EMERGENCY FIRE ENGINE

FAST-MOVING LIFE-SAVER

RENAULT

1909

VICTORIA RUNABOUT

WILLYS

JEEP

ARMY WONDER CAR

BORGWARD HANSA

GERMAN SPORTS CAR

SPEEDY COMPETITOR

EFFYH

SWEDISH RACER

ONE CYLINDER MIDGET

LOCOMOBILE

1907

EXPRESS TRUCK

FORD MODEL T

1910

COMMERCIAL ROADSTER

KENZ

TWIN FORD HOT ROD

WORLD'S FASTEST

BRM

BRITISH RACING CAR

GOVERNMENT-BACKED

COLUMBIA

1900

SURREY

STANLEY STEAMER

1911

TOURING CAR

M24TANK

LIGHT TANK

"GENERAL CHAFFEE"

TWIN TANKER

AMERICAN HOT ROD

ITALIAN DESIGN

PAN HARD

1902

RACER

FRANKLIN

1904

REAR ENTRANCE TOURING CAR

BELLY TANK

3-WHEELER

AMERICAN HOT ROD

U.S. ARMY

ANTI-AIRCRAFT HALF-TRACK

HEAVY FIREPOWER

PACKARD

1912

LAUNDALET

LONG ISLAND AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM

DREAM CAR

TWO PLACE ASTRA-COUPE

CAR OF THE FUTURE

VERITAS

GERMAN SPORTS CAR

SIX CYLINDERS

LOCOMOBILE

1899

STANHOPE

STUDEBAKER

1906

TOURING CAR

CUNNINGHAM

AMERICAN SPORTS CAR

EIGHT CYLINDER

U.S. ARMY

2 1/2 TON TRUCK

PERSONNEL AND CARGO CARRIER

250

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WORLD ON WHEELS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

MAKER

DESCRIPTION

STYLE

CADILLAC

1906

TOURING CAR

VIM

1916

STAGE

DREAM CAR

CURVISION REAR-ENGINE COUPE

CAR OF THE FUTURE

ALFA ROMEO

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

"FLYING DISC"

SUCCESS

1906

AUTO BUGGY

WHITE STEAMER

1906

TOURING CAR

U.S. ARMY

40-MM DUAL SELF-PROPELLED GUNS

ARMORED GUN CARRIER

FERRARI

ITALIAN RACING CAR

SPEED KING

PIERCE ARROW

1916

RACEABOUT

THOMAS FLYER

1910

RACEABOUT

JAGUAR

XK SUPER SPORTS CAR

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

DELAHAYE

FRENCH SPORTS CAR

THE CUSTOM COACHMAKER'S DREAM

OAKLAND

1911

ROADSTER

KNOX

1904

SURREY

1500 GALLON PUMPER

FIRE ENGINE

MOVING WATER SUPPLY

LINCOLN-MERCURY

EXPERIMENTAL CAR-XL500

FIBERGLASS BODY

HUDSON

1911

TOURING CAR

FORD

1906

RUNABOUT

CADILLAC

EL DORADO-1953

CONVERTIBLE

WILLYS

AERO-FALCON 1953

TWO DOOR SEDAN

PEERLESS

1913

ROADSTER

NORTHERN

1904

REAR ENTRANCE TOURING CAR

HUDSON

WASP-1953

FOUR DOOR SEDAN

PLYMOUTH

CRANBROOK-1953

CONVERTIBLE CLUB COUPE

PIERCE

1905

STANHOPE

DODGE

CORONET-1953

TWO DOOR SEDAN

HENRY J.

CORSAIR DELUXE

TWO DOOR SEDAN

PONTIAC

CHIEFTAN-1953

DELUXE CONVERTIBLE

LINCOLN

CAPRI-1953

HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE

U.S. ARMY

48 MEDIUM GUN TANK

ARMORED GUN CARRIER

CHRYSLER

"SPECIAL" SPORT MODEL

EXPERIMENTAL CAR

GENERAL MOTORS

LE SABRE

EXPERIMENTAL CAR

NASH

AMBASSADOR-1953

TWO DOOR SEDAN

CHEVROLET

BELAIR-1953

TWO DOOR SEDAN

FORD

1915

FIRE CHIEF & RUNABOUT

CHRYSLER

NEW YORKER-1953

CLUB COUPE

MERCURY

CUSTOM -1953

TWO DOOR SEDAN

STUDEBAKER

CHAMPION-1953

HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE

FORD

COUNTRY SQUIRE-1953

STATION WAGON

BUICK

GENERAL MOTORS-XP300

EXPERIMENTAL CAR

HEALEYSILVERSTONE

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

ULTRA-LIGHT

PACKARD

PATRICIAN -1953

FOUR DOOR SEDAN

KAISER-FRAZER

AMERICAN SPORTS CAR DKF-161

PLASTIC BODY

BUICK

ROADMASTER-1953

HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE

100

PONTIAC

LE PARISIENNE

EXPERIMENTAL CAR

101

ELGIN

SWEEPER TRUCK

UTILITY VEHICLE

102

CISITALIA

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

FAST RUNABOUT

103

FORD

SCHOOL BUS

60 PASSENGERS

104

NAPIER

1904

TOURING CAR

105

ADAMS-FARWELL

1906

STANHOPE

106

ALLARD

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

SPEED-LINED BEAUTY

107

DREAM CAR

ALLEN WILLIAMS DESIGN

THREE WHEELED

108

MOON

1912

RACEABOUT

109

LEON BOLLEE

1898

TRICYCLE

110

APACHE

AMERICAN HOT ROD

HAND BUILT ROADSTER

251

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WORLD ON WHEELS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

MAKER

DESCRIPTION

STYLE

111

NARDI

ITALIAN RACING CAR

GRAND PRIX RACER

112

DE DION BOUTON

1896

TRICYCLE

113

OLDSMOBILE

1905

COACH

114

DREAM CAR

SAKHNOFFSKY DESIGN

NEW LOOK IN SPORTS CAR

115

RELIANT

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

THREE-WHEELED BANTAM

116

KNOX

1905

RUNABOUT

117

FORD-LA FRANCE

1920

CHEMICAL HOSE TRUCK

118

KURTIS

AMERICAN SPORTS CAR

TWO-SEATER SPEEDSTER

119

HUDSON

SUPER JET

EXPERIMENTAL CAR

120

OHIO

1908

ROADSTER

121

BREWSTER

1915

TOWN CAR

122

FIAT

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

FAST RUNABOUT

123

FRAZER-NASH

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

ROAD-HOLDING ROADSTER

124

PACKARD

1904

TONNEAU

125

STEVENS-DURYEA

1910

ROADSTER

126

TRIUMPH

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

STREAMLINED ROADSTER

127

RILEY

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

ROADSTER

128

HUDSON

1912

ROADSTER

129

HOFFMAN-VESPA

ITALIAN-MADE

MOTOR SCOOTER

130

VOLKSWAGEN

CONVERTIBLE

GERMAN MAKE

131

M.G.

BRITISH SPORTS CAR

MIGHTY MIDGET

132

FORD

CARGO KING

LUMBER TRUCK

133

PACKARD

1904

RACING CAR

134

LUCCIOLA

ITALIAN MAKE

MINIATURE CAR

135

REEVES

1911

OCTOAUTO

136

GLASSPAR

DETACHABLE BODY

COMPLETELY FIBERGLASS

137

LAND ROVER

BRITISH MAKE

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

138

SIATA

ITALIAN SPORTS CAR

CHRYSLER-POWERED

139

CHECKER

TAXICAB

6 PASSENGERS

140

KAISER

DE LUXE-1953

FOUR-DOOR SEDAN

141

CARTERCAR

1913

THREE PASSENGER COUPE

142

THOMAS

1905

LIMOUSINE

143

NSU-LAMBRETTA

ITALIAN MAKE

MOTOR SCOOTER

144

GREYHOUND BUS

SCENICRUISER

DOUBLE DECKER

145

AMERICAN-LA FRANCE

1911

HOSE TRUCK

146

COLUMBIA

1906

DOUBLE VICTORIA

147

KNOX

1905

SURREY

148

APPERSON

1908

TOY TONNEAU

149

OLDSMOBILE

1904

LIGHT TONNEAU

150

COLUMBIA

1904

LIMOUSINE

151

KNOX

1904

TOURING CAR

152

OLDSMOBILE

1912

DEFENDER COUPE

153

POPE-TOLEDO

1904

TOURING CAR

154

POPE-HARTFORD

1902

REAR ENTRANCE TOURING CAR

155

COLUMBIA

1905

ROYAL VICTORIA

156

ROYAL

1906

TOURING CAR

157

GENERAL MOTORS

1912

ELECTRIC TAXICAB

158

COLUMBIA

1905

LANDAULET

159

THOMAS FLYER

1904

LIMOUSINE

160

HAYNES-APPERSON

1905

LIGHT TOURING CAR

161

CHEVROLET 1954

CORVETTE

SPORTS CAR

162

MERCURY 1954

MONTEREY

PLEXIGLASS ROOF COUPE

163

PACKARD 1954

CARIBBEAN

TWO DOOR CONVERTIBLE

164

CADILLAC 1954

SERIES 62

FOUR DOOR SEDAN

165

MINIATURE CAR 1954

GERMAN MAKE

FAMILY MACHINE

252

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

WORLD ON WHEELS CHECKLIST

NUMBER

MAKER

DESCRIPTION

STYLE

166

HUDSON 1954

ITALIA

CLOSED COUPE

167

MICROBO 1954

FRENCH MAKE

MINIATURE CAR

168

BRISTOL 1954

BRITISH MAKE

CONVERTIBLE

169

FORD 1954

THUNDERBIRD

SPORTS CAR

170

BUICK 1954

SKYLARK

SPORTS CAR

171

PONTIAC

STRATO-STAR

DREAM CAR

172

CHEVROLET

BISCAYNE

DREAM CAR

173

BUICK

WILDCAT III

DREAM CAR

174

MESSERSCHMITT

GERMAN MAKE

"MIGHT MITE"

175

DE SOTO 1955

FIREFLITE

CONVERTIBLE

176

CHRYSLER 1955

THE "300"

CUSTOM MADE

177

CADILLAC 1955

ELDORADO BROUGHAM

LUXURY SHOW CAR

178

NASH 1955

RAMBLER "CROSS COUNTRY"

STATION WAGON

179

DODGE 1955

CUSTOM ROYAL LANCER

V-8 CONVERTIBLE

180

FORD 1955

CROWN VICTORIA

TRANSPARENT ROOF

RED BACK

BLUE BACK

DIAMOND T

NORTON (ENGLISH)

161

CHEVROLET 1954 - CORVETTE

169

FORD 1954 -THUNDERBIRD

125

180

FORD 1955 - CROWN VICTORIA

200

COMMON (1-80)

COMMON (81-160)

COMMON (161-170)

COMMON BLUE BACK (171-180)

COMMON RED BACK (171-180)

SET (170 RED/10 BLUE)

1250

ONE CENT WRAPPER (1896-1954)

ONE CENT WRAPPER (1896-1955)

125

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (1896-1954)

FIVE CENT WRAPPER (1896-1955)

100

ONE CENT PACK (1896-1954)

ONE CENT PACK (1896-1955)

150

FIVE CENT PACK (1896-1954)

FIVE CENT PACK (1896-1955)

200

TEN CENT CELLO PACK

300

ONE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

FIVE CENT BOX (EMPTY)

200

253

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

X-RAY ROUNDUP

Issued As: Pixie, X-Ray Roundup
Issue Date: 1949
Packaging: 1 cent tab
Base Set Size: 200

Number of Series: 2

ACC #: R714-25
Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16", 22 x 36.5 mm
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.
Sheet Size: 100 or 200, possibly both

MAi WES!

HSMMUHW 111

X-Ray Roundup is a colorful set of 200 tab sized cards issued as an insert with a bubble gum dubbed Pixie.
The fronts feature well illustrated portraits, done in the same manner as the Soldiers of The World set
from this year (but also feature numbers within the picture) of Pirates, Indians, Wild West figures, African
Tribesmen and a handful of screen stars who appeared in Westerns, most notably Mae West. The backs
featured drawings that were hidden in a picture and were revealed by using a piece of red "x-ray paper".

The first series predominantly featured portraits of Indians clearly inspired by and cribbed from an old 19 th
Century Allen & Ginter set called American Indian Chiefs (ACC# N2). Pirates and Screen Stars are well
represented in this series plus there are a few Wild West figures and Savage Tribesmen as well. There
does not seem to be an identifiable aboriginal source for the Tribesmen or Wild West figures. The Pirates
look to have been copied from another Allen & Ginter set called Pirates of the Spanish Main (ACC # N19).

A second series followed, with a few Indian Chiefs and a full array of Tribesmen plus more Pirates and
Indians. Ten more Screen Stars added some current flavor to this series. In addition, the paper wrapper's
interior advertised that an album could be ordered from Topps to house the set for fifteen cents.
Advertisements in comic books also advertised 10 Wild West cards plus a magic spyglass (a small, red
plastic "viewer" that resembled a tiny magnifying glass) for a nickel. As the ad stated there were ten
series of ten cards each, this must have included the Indians as well plus a handful of other subjects. It is
unclear if a similar deal helped to sell off the other 100 cards in the set but it seems probable.

The Pixie wrapper can be found with or without a small circle on the flap portion that states "Ibp" for Lord
Baltimore Printing. It's likely but not certain this small logo appeared on first series packs and was
removed for the second. This little logo also appears on the Stop n Co (License Plates) tabs and penny
Magic Photo packs. There may have been an inconsistent use of this logo or it could signify a time frame
tying these three sets together. The interior wrapper holding the gum was made of a green, waxed paper.

Uncut sheets of 100 are known for both series; in 100 subject stamp sheets can be found, as can 25 card
quadrants, the latter issued as premiums for a product called "Aunt Hannah's Bread", which was sold in
the Northeast United States. These sheets had two holes punched in them to allow insertion in an

254

THE MODERN HOBBY GUIDE TO TOPPS CHEWING GUM: 1 938 TO 1 956

associated album. Stamps issued in this fashion were called "Portrait Trading Stamps". Artwork for the
set was auctioned by Topps in 1989.

Vending boxes for X-Ray Roundup are known; a case of six, 500 card boxes, with sleeves made of gray
cardboard were found by Mickey's Sportscards among a collection that featured a lot of cards from O-Pee-
Chee in Canada. Only about 30 different numbers were found in this vending run so collation was quite
poor, although different groupings may have been available at different times to the amusement parks and
arcades that would have sold these.

The subject breakdown is as follows and is drawn from direct observation as there are no categories
indicated on the cards per set

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